A Tale of Two Nabikis
by TheAlteredDestiniesFan
Summary: What if two Nabiki's from different realities were to swap place? it would help you enjoy this series more if you're familiar with Nabiki 1/2 and Kasumi 1/2 (A Very Scary Story). Set between chapter 41 and 42
1. Chapter 1

A Tale of Two Nabikis

by

Jim Robert Bader

(Disclaimer: Takahashi & Associates own rights

to Ranma 1/2 Series, this is just Fanfiction,

so don't sue me)

Part One.

"Come back here, you old fool!" a voice cried out in familiar protest of a certain lecherous Martial Arts Masters recent activities.

"Not a chance!" Master Happosai called out gleefully as he ran down the corridors of the dojo chortling to himself, "What a haul! What a haul!"

"Bring that back!" cried Tendo Nabiki as she threw back the sliding door and glared angrily at the fleeing pervert, "That's Shampoo's bra! You want to mess with her? You mess with me first!"

"One at a time, my dear apprentice!" Happosai cried as he vaulted onto the top of the wall and looked back to taunt her some more, "You have to be quicker than that if you expect to catch me..."

He was cut off as another hand snatched the bra from out of his grasp then growled, "You were saying?"

"Nani?" Happosai turned around with very wide eyes, only to receive a sharp kick to the face that sent him soaring towards a distant cloudbank.

"Honestly," Nabiki sighed as she watched him vanish, "He should know by now that I'm a lot faster than I used to be. If he expects to get away with this sort of conduct around my wife..."

"Old man giving you problems again?" another voice asked, causing Nabiki to whirl around with a delighted expression.

"Ranchan!" she cried as she threw her arms around her iinazuke-slash-husband, "You're back!"

"Hey, it's not like I've been gone all that long," Ranma protested as he fought for balance while returning her embrace, "But if this is the kind of greeting I can expect, then I ought to go on more training missions with Dad."

"Not without me you're not!" Nabiki chuckled as she playfully touched his nose, "Next thing I know you'll run off and join the circus again. Where are Ucchan and Perfume at?"

"Oh, they'll be along," Ranma assured her, "They stopped by the restaurant to check up on the business. They'll be along soon enough to enjoy some of Kasumi's fine cooking...assuming nobody made the mistake of letting Akane near the kitchen?"

"What do you think we are, insane?" Nabiki chuckled as she let go of all but his hand and the bra that she was holding, "No, she's over at Kodachi's with Keiko and Ryoga. I was just spending some time at home with Shampoo..."

"How is she doing?" Ranma's concern was evident, "Still having back pains and complaining about the shape she's in?"

"Cologne's been coaching her to get her back on a training regimen that should help her get back her original figure," Nabiki replied, "She's been holding up pretty well through all of the months when she was pregnant, but...well...you know how she's been feeling about being cooped up all of that time. She hated being sidelined, and now she's determined to make up for lost time..."

"But she's got to know that she has to take it easy," Ranma said, "It's been, what? Three weeks since she got back from the hospital? She shouldn't be taking risks with her health..."

"She knows the drill," Nabiki rolled her eyes, "Cologne and Kasumi keep reminding her day and night to take it slow, but you know these Amazons...they rarely ever listen."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Ranma chuckled, which earned him a dangerous look from his companion.

"And just what did you mean by that?" Nabiki growled in low menace.

"Nothing!" Ranma hastily put up his hands, attempting to avoid a quick trip into the koi pond, "Uh, why don't I stop by and give Sham-chan my best? She's got to know we're all rooting for her to get back up to speed now that she has a daughter to take care of."

"If you can't cheer her up, Ranchan, I don't know who else can," Nabiki smiled as they both vaulted off the wall and headed back towards the house, unaware that they were being watched all the while by eyes that glowed without warmth or comfort. A cunning smile crossed inhuman lips, forming a sneer that promised trouble for the very near future...

Meanwhile, not far in terms of time and space, but removed by many heartbeats separation in terms of separation, another tableau was being acted out very much like the first but with distinctive differences for the principles involved...

"Come back here, you old fool!"

"What a haul, what a haul!"

The sliding door moved back to reveal an angry redhead whose blue eyes flashed menacingly as she caught sight of the little man running on ahead with his prize in hand.

"Bring that back!" she cried as she chased him into the garden, "That belongs to Akane!"

"You think I don't know that, my boy?" Happosai chortled as he looked back to taunt the youth, only to miss seeing where he was going as he ran smack into an upheld metal dish lid. He went slumping onto the floor as Akane looked down with disgust.

"What did you do this time?" Akane growled, then saw the redhead pull up short of her and asked, "Ranma?"

"Oh, uh, hi Akane," said Saotome Ranma to her iinazuke, "I see you caught the little runt this time in the act."

"In the act of what?" Akane wondered with suspicion, "I was just bringing you some lunch I made when I saw him coming at me."

"Oh?" Ranma suddenly felt very nervous, both for Akane's sudden appearance and the lethal weapon that she was carrying inside the innocent looking cook pot.

"It's something special I made," Akane said as she held the pot up in both hands, "Ramen casserole with fish heads and onions and..."

"Uhk!" Ranma managed to choke out as she contemplated the gray mass amid the coal black lumps inside the pot...and was it her imagination or was something swimming beneath the surface?

Suddenly she found herself holding up Akane's bra in one hand as Master Happosai recovered sufficiently to take advantage of her momentary distraction. Ranma gasped as the aged master said, "There you go, Ranma my boy, your share of tonight's haul. Enjoy!"

With that he bounded away, leaving Ranma holding the incriminating goods. Akane stared at the bra, recognizing it as her own, then glared angrily at the redhead and growled, "Ranma..."

"Hey, wait a minute, Akane!" Ranma protested, "You don't think I took this? I was trying to get it back from the little pervert..."

"And you expect me to believe that?" Akane all but shouted, "What kind of an idiot do you take me for?"

"Now there's a loaded question," a sardonic voice murmured from one side.

"Stay out of this, Nabiki!" Akane growled, "This is between me and my baka fiancée!"

"Maybe so," Nabiki replied, "But I'll have you know that Ranma's telling you the truth this time. I was witness to the whole thing, and I can definitely say that the fault lies with Master Happosai."

Ranma stared in disbelief at his savior. Tendo Nabiki coming to his rescue without being asked? And without a profit motive involved? It was too good to be true and she was instantly suspicious.

"You mean that, Oneechan?" Akane lost some of her anger in her surprise, "Ranma really was trying to get it back?"

"Sure I was," Ranma instantly replied, committing one of the typically great mistakes of his life by opening his mouth instead of leaving it to Nabiki, who he suspected of ulterior motives. All would have gone right just then if he had been smart enough not to add, "Not that I think a bra makes any sense with you since you've hardly got anything there to support..."

She did not know why she was surprised to see Akane's anger flare up once again to volcanic levels as she stared hatefully towards him and said, "RANMA NO BAKA!"

Nabiki winced as her potential brother-in-law went sailing headfirst into the koi pond. She sighed as Akane stormed angrily away, taking the pot with its toxic contents with her. The middle Tendo daughter just sighed then walked casually up to the koi pond and said, "You've only got yourself to blame for that one, Saotome. If you'd just let me do all the talking this would never have happened."

"I know," Ranma groaned as she climbed back out, thoroughly drenched and miserable, "Why can't I ever keep my big mouth shut?"

"Can't answer you there," Nabiki smiled, "But I am doing a term paper for my Psychology class on just that subject. I expect to get an 'A', of course, since you'll be accompanying me as my live demonstration model."

Ranma started to open her mouth to protest then thought better of it, "Oh...so that's why you came to my rescue..."

"Smart boy," Nabiki grinned, "Truth is, though, even I get a little tired of Gramps and his antics, and I think Akane carries this angry Tomboy thing a bit too far. It's like with her always trying to cook when Kasumi lets her..."

Ranma just leaned his body on the boulder in front of him and said, "How much would I have to pay you to figure out a way to make her stop trying to poison us?"

"In this case, I'd charge nothing," Nabiki assured her, "It's my life on the line too, you know. Unfortunately so far I haven't been able to come up with a plan that doesn't require hurting Akane's feelings."

"Well, somebody better do something quick," Ranma growled, "If I'm going to be married to that...uh...I mean...no way would I marry her, you understand, but..."

"I know exactly what you mean, Ranma-kun," Nabiki smirked, "If it was just a matter of cooking you'd pick Ukyo or Shampoo. Well, better get inside and get dressed if you want any dinner at all. I'll go see if I can talk Akane into forgetting about her cooking...I just hope she hasn't poured her latest mess down the drain again. It's getting hard to hire plumbers for our septic tank...they keep talking about Alligators and things with tentacles..."

"Right," Ranma got up and headed for the house with his prospective Sister-in-law in tow, and neither of them was the least bit aware that a different pair of eyes were watching them from concealment, murmuring to itself in a soft, sibilant voice, "We have made it at last...It's not too late to warn them..."

"A challenge match?" Ranma was looking at Nabiki, mildly askance, "Again? That's the third time this month..."

"Fourth if you include your own challenge, Ranchan," she corrected with a smile, "I wouldn't worry about it, though. I've handled lots of these things in the past and so far nobody but you've gotten the better of me...at least where it counts."

"I don't know," Ranma frowned, "I don't like it when other people are always challenging you. One of these days it might be somebody really good, and then what'll happen?"

"Well, I'll expect you to avenge me at the very least," Nabiki told him pleasantly, then saw his pained look and sighed, "Don't worry so, Ranchan. I'll take good care of myself. I just want you and Sham-chan to be all right with this..."

"Ranma is right," Shampoo said crossly, "Airen take too many risks, maybe get hurt real bad. Shampoo does not want her Airen to be injured when she is now a Poppa."

Nabiki smiled lopsidedly as she touched the hand of the purple-haired girl standing beside her, "What happened to that Amazon pride that says we can't back down from a challenge? Don't tell me you have doubts about my prowess?"

"Airen should not make stupid jokes like that," Shampoo sniffed, "Is very bad to face so many challenges at once. It like somebody try to hurt Airen for real. Shampoo does not wish to become widow, nor does Ranma-Airen. Nabiki-Airen does want to see her daughter grow up to be strong Amazon warrior who know her true father?"

"More than anything else in the world, Sham-chan," Nabiki said with fervent sincerity, "I'm just asking you to have a little faith in me, that's all. Besides, you'll never be alone. You've got Ranma, Ukyo and Perfume to take care of you if anything happens, not to mention Kasumi."

"Shampoo knows this," Shampoo said tiredly, giving Ranma a pained look that the boy returned in sympathy as if both commiserated in their mutual exasperation, "But Nabiki-Airen too stubborn to admit she not always best Warrior who ever lived. You good enough to one day become Elder, like Great Grandmother, not throw this away over stupid pride. How Ranma-Airen feel if you hurt yourself?"

"Lousy," Ranma said, "I'd rather be the one risking my neck for the both of you, and I don't care how unenlightened that makes me sound."

"My husband, the traditionalist," Nabiki sniffed in amusement, "I'm touched that you feel that way, Ranchan, but even if I am your wife by Amazon marriage, I'm still fighting my own battles, and if Shampoo weren't so worn out from taking care of little Lylac I'm sure she'd say the same thing."

"Shampoo only know that now she is mother at last and she will work very hard to get back into shape," Shampoo averred, "Then she...I will make sure Nabiki-Airen spends more time with family instead of always fighting. Sham-I will not let you hurt yourself over pride, Airen, not even if it means your honor. Honor no good if you not around to givve life meaning."

"I understand how you both feel," Nabiki said gently, "But Honor does mean something to me, and as the rightful heir to the Anything Goes School I have a responsibility to uphold the honor of my name and House. What good am I to anyone if I can't stand up for my own family? Nobody threatens the ones I love and gets away with it, so just please trust me to..."

"Whoah!" Ranma said, "What's this about threatening us? I thought you were the one being issued the challenge."

"Airen challenge message very ominous, Ranma-Airen," Shampoo replied, "Say threaten us if she no show for challenge."

"Actually," Nabiki said, "The wording was more like 'show up for face the dire consequences to those you love,' which I guess means pretty much the same thing. I was working out to prepare for the match when Happosai made his latest grab for the lingerie, but now that you're back I've got someone to spar with."

"Sure thing," Ranma said, "You know you can count on me to help you train. In fact I've gotten a lot better with those new techniques Dad was teaching me over the weekend."

"More techniques like Ranma Senken skills?" Shampoo asked with a mildly ominous expression.

"Then you can show me what you've got after we have dinner," Nabiki smiled, "I expect you to go all out unless you also want to take swimming lessons."

Soun Tendo looked up from his paper, concern plainly writ on his expression as he considered what damage might be done to the house, yard and local real estate if his son-in-law and middle daughter were to cut loose at full force with their high advanced combat maneuvers. He considered saying something then thought the better of it, trusting his daughter and her newly wed husband to mind some restraints for the sake of keeping a roof intact over their heads.

Ranma smiled. He hardly needed the reminder of what Nabiki would do to him if she even suspected that he was holding back during their sparring matches. In truth he did not like fighting women, let alone women he cared about, but Nabiki was a...special case, and it wasn't really like he was beating up on a weak girl...especially when she was in her other form as Kaneda...

"A challenge match?" Akane was asking, "Another one so soon?"

"Yeah," Ranma sniffed, "Third one this week. I must be popular again, either that or just unlucky."

"So what's the big deal?" Nabiki asked, "You'll win this the same as always."

"Of course I'll win," Ranma sniffed, then read the note again, "But what's this Martial Arts Karaoke? Is it a singing contest where our voices are lethal weapons?"

"You've obviously got that covered, right P-chan?" Akane sniffed, and the pig in her lap nodded his head in total agreement.

"Huh," Ranma snorted, "Just you wait, whoever you are. I'll beat the pants off of anyone who thinks they can challenge me in a dumb singing contest."

"That's the way, son," Soun complimented, "Saotome, this marks the one hundredth challenge to be issued to the Tendo Dojo since you and your son arrived just around a year ago..."

"Say, you're right, Tendo," Genma remarked, "I'd almost lost track of the time. It has been close to a year now, hasn't it? A pretty active year chock full of memories, some of which I'd rather not remember..."

"It has been a year, hasn't it?" Soun replied, "Another game of Shogi?"

"Oh my," said Kasumi as she entered the room bearing a tray full of noodles, "Has it really been a year? Where does the time go?"

"You got me, Sis," Nabiki replied before giving Ranma a sly look, "Something you may want to consider when you accept this challenge, Saotome...you sing better as your female half, while as a guy...well, you're the one who's always saying how you're embarrassed to be seen that way."

"Oh yeah," Ranma's enthusiasm promptly dimmed, but his fighting spirit flared almost immediately as he cried, "But let me at him and I'll cream the jerk who thinks he can sing better than me! Just you wait and see, I'll be a regular Pop Idol diva yet! I'll sing the pants off of whoever it is, I'll..."

Nabiki's smile deepened as she murmured faintly to herself, "Perfect."

"What was that, Nabiki?" Akane eyed her older sister with suspicion.

"Oh, nothing much," Nabiki replied, assuming a cute-girl expression of patently false innocence while privately thinking to herself that there were many ways to profit from Ranma's typical obsession with being the best at anything in which he was challenged.

"Hi everybody!" Happosai cried as he bounded into the room, spoiling everyone's mood, "Ohhh! I see that Kasumi has made another batch of her delicious Sukiyaki with noodles! Time for me to dig-in!"

"Why hello, Grandfather Happosai," Kasumi said sweetly, the only one not upset at the old man's presence, "You seem to be in a very good mood this evening."

"And why shouldn't I be?" Happosai said brightly, reaching into his gi to pull out a certain object, "I've finally managed to repair the Nanban Mirror, which Ranma so thoughtlessly destroyed many months ago..."

"Me?" Ranma reacted, glancing at Nabiki, who he knew to be the true guilty party.

"Whatever," the wizened old master replied, "It took a while to research the spells needed to bind the magics all together..."

"You mean to pry the superglue off of your fingers," Nabiki corrected.

"You WHAT?" Ranma was on his feet again in an instant, "Give me that! That's my means of getting back to Jusenkyo, China!"

"No way my boy!" Happosai held the handheld mirror up to his breast, "I'm not letting you anywhere near this after the fiasco that happened the last time!"

"Oh yeah?" Ranma cried, and the chase was on immediately, dinner forgotten as the two played a game of cat-and-mouse that took them out into the yard, where it promptly became a free-for all between perverted master and designated apprentice.

"Oh well," Nabiki sighed as she and the others dug into their food and ignored the struggle that took place from one end of the yard to the other, "I suppose Cologne will be wanting that mirror back now that it's finally fixed again."

"Honestly," Akane growled while stealing secret glances to the side to see how Ranma was doing, then sniffed and lifted her nose as if the whole thing could not possibly be of any interest.

The pig in her lap, meanwhile, was looking from her to the struggling Ranma, who finally managed to wrest the mirror away from Happosai, only to be sent flying into the Koi pond with an enormous splash as if the whole thing had been planned that way from the get-go.

"That'll teach you to try and steal from me, my boy," Happosai said with evident pleasure, only to gasp as something unexpected happened. The koi pond was suddenly flaring to life, erupting into a shower of light as Ranma-chan was hurled backwards onto dry land sans mirror.

"Oh my," Kasumi said in amazement, "What do you suppose could have happened?"

"The mirror!" Akane said in alarm, "But I thought it was only supposed to react when tears were shed onto it!"

"Gee," Nabiki mused, "You don't suppose that Koi can cry tears, do you?"

"I don't know," Soun said to his three daughters, "Perhaps all the times Ranma has fallen into the pond have finally taken their toll with our poor fish."

"The tears of a Carp," Genma replied, then lurched to his feet, "Hey, you don't suppose that they might want to visit China?"

"Why should they?" Nabiki asked, "You think they have relatives that spawn there?"

"What the heck is this thing?" Ranma-chan asked, sitting upright.

"Perhaps it's some kind of dimensional doorway," Happosai mused as he stared into the column of light still shining forth from the pool, "I wonder...?"

Ranma ate at a leisurely pace while his recent bride shared her portion of the Sukiyaki with Shampoo. Nabiki was hardly ignoring him after all, it was just that an Amazon and her child tended to get the lions share of his wife's attention around the dinner table, not that he could blame her either since he tended to dote a lot on the kid and considered little Lylac to be the next best thing to his very own baby girl, even if he was only a surrogate father.

"My, isn't this a pleasant evening meal that we're all sharing?" Nodoka remarked as she looked around the table, "Akane will be sorry she missed out on her sister's delicious cooking..."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it, Auntie," Kasumi smiled pleasantly, "Akane said that she was going to enjoy some Sushi in the Raw with Keiko-san at Kodachi's place. I wonder what she meant by that? Isn't the whole point of serving Sushi supposed to be that it's raw?"

Perfume snickered as if enjoying a private joke while Ukyo just favored her with a wry expression. The latter was showing definite signs of her pregnancy now but still had her usual vitality and vibrancy about her. Nabiki just heaved a slightly amused sigh in her naïve sister's direction then went back to feeding a delighted Shampoo, who was breast-feeding her baby. Soun and Genma were too busy stuffing their faces to pay much notice of this exchange of innuendo.

"Well frankly," Ranma said after being careful to swallow the last of his noodles, rather than suffer a sharp rebuke from his mother for talking with his mouth full, "Akane spends so much time over there that she might as well rent out a room for her and Ryoga. I'm just glad to enjoy some peace and quiet for once..."

As almost anyone can tell you who lives in the Nerima district, those are exactly the wrong words to use when things have been going smoothly for any great length of time. Naturally the fates showed their hand by having Happosai bound into the room, take one look at his fellow houseguests, then snort, "It figures you ingrates would be starting dinner without me!"

"We did call for you, Master Happosai," Kasumi said politely, "But you weren't around, so I guess we just got hungry."

"Hah!" Happosai growled, "Well, I can tell when my company isn't wanted! It's about time I hit the road again and go on another training mission, so don't try to talk me out of it!"

"Who's talking you out of what?" Ukyo asked blandly.

"Have a nice trip," said Perfume with a sniff.

"No let door hit rump when you leave," Shampoo added.

"Frankly, Master, I've been wondering when you'd be giving us some peace and quiet," Nabiki noted with a sardonic expression, "Too much training of late is taking time away from me having to perform my wifely duties for my husband, Ranchan."

Ranma almost sputtered on his tea when she said that, for beneath the table her hand had slyly found its way onto his lap, and from the way she patted him down below, just out of sight of the others, it was obvious enough what was on her mind for the evening, and just as obvious from the smile Shampoo wore that they would be given a measure of solitude so that the two of them could indulge in their passions without having to worry about waking little Lylac.

Of course Shampoo would sometimes join them in these nightly forays, in which case Ranma would wind up having to perform for two women, which was ten times more exhausting than any mere sparing match could ever be, not that he would confess to it within earshot of his randy, adoring ladies...

Across the table Ukyo just frowned a bit, considering how her own relationship with Ranma was tied into his four-way marriage to her, Shampoo, Perfume and Nabiki, although she had yet to herself walk the aisle with her iinazuke, and could not do so legally without a bit more preparation.

Perfume sensed her wife's slight hint of jealousy and resentment and just sighed, hoping for the time at the end of the month when the five of them could take a vacation cruise together, at which point Ranma promised he would wed Ukyo (informally since he was already married to Nabiki through terms of Amazon law and a hasty civil service performed the week before in a circus), and by terms legitimize his marriage to Perfume as well, a prospect for which she found herself curiously excited...

"Fine, be that way!" Happosai snapped at seeing the way the others were ignoring him. He reached into his gi and pulling out a hand mirror, "But I'm not leaving to go on the usual overland jaunt, not since I found this beauty in my private collection."

"Huh?" Ranma said skeptically, "So what? You gonna comb what's left of your hair?"

Shampoo's reaction was not so urbane, "Aiyaa! That look like description of ancient Amazon artifact belong to tribe which great grandmother say was stolen..."

"Stolen?" Happosai cried indignantly, "I'll have you know that she gave it to me when we were both so much younger! Ah...to remember those days when I was a handsome lad seeking to master the arts, and she was the fairest of flowers...not a withered up old prune like she makes herself out to be these days!"

"Who's withered up?" asked a voice just behind him.

"Why you of course, Cologne," Happosai said, then blinked his eyes and whirled about, "Cologne?"

Both Shampoo and Perfume tensed slightly as they turned to see their respective great-grandmother, both of them frowning noticeably as the old woman had yet to earn forgiveness in their eyes for past indiscretions.

"Oh my," Kasumi said, "Welcome back to our house, Honored Elder. I wasn't expecting you to stay for dinner or I would have prepared more sukiyaki."

"Don't bother," Cologne said with narrowed eyes, "I've not come to stay for very long. I just want to take back what's mine, that which was stolen from my house and tribe three centuries ago...miscreant!"

"So it was stolen," Nabiki remarked as she saw Happosai back away from the old woman, then her eyes narrowed as she added, "Then by rights it belongs to Shampoo. Is it very valuable?"

"Priceless," Cologne replied, "The Nanban mirror, a treasured artifact beyond measure with a secret closely guarded by we Amazons for centuries, stolen from me by this fool along with many other treasures belonging to my people."

"And I'm telling you it was a gift," Happosai insisted as he continued to back away, "Oh yes, a treasured momento of our time together during the days of our youth, but which has some interesting properties that I just discovered the other day..." the little man cackled slyly as if enjoying a private secret.

Cologne did not bother to conceal her wrath as her white hair literally stood on end, "I'll ask you nicely just one more time, Happy...GIVE ME BACK THE NANBAN MIRROR!"

She took a swing with her staff, forcing Happosai to back away with a taunt, "Hah! As if I'd give it up like that! You're slowing down, old woman, you'll never nail me with such weak attacks, not unless you decide to give up the pretense and..."

"Oh yeah?" Nabiki asked from directly behind him as Happosai found that the mirror had been snatched out of his hand by his apprentice, "Well try my attacks if you think you're so good."

"All right," Happosai flared, "You've been asking for this all day, Student!"

"Nabiki!" Ranma cried as he lurched to his feet, knowing even his speed would not be enough to thwart the attack that he could sense coming from the perverted old master.

Nabiki barely had time to erect her defenses before she was sent flying backwards out into the yard and into the koi pond. She landed with a splash and felt her body shift genders almost immediately, but even as she did so the mirror in his hand suddenly flared to life and bathed the whole pool in its golden radiance. Unlike with a certain other Ranma, however, he did not immediately emerge on this side of the koi pond...

"Weird," another Nabiki was saying at precisely that moment, standing alongside the rest of her extended family as they gazed at the pillar of light that was still emitting from the irradiated koi pond, "You're saying that thing is a doorway to another dimension?"

"Another time, perhaps another place," said Happosai sagely, "Whatever the effect is of Ranma's having dropped the mirror in the pond, the result is still very intriguing. I wonder if maybe we could cross over there and find ourselves in a very different setting..."

"Yeah, whatever," Ranma-chan said, "How do we make it go away? A thing like that's gotta be dangerous..."

"Hey look!" Akane cried, "There's someone standing inside there!"

"Oh my," Kasumi said, "I do believe you're right. It's a man of some sort...and very handsome."

"Who do you think it is, Saotome?" Soun asked, not having picked up on the peculiar way in which his eldest daughter had said the latter part of her statement.

"I don't know, Tendo," Genma replied, "He sure doesn't look familiar."

"Hey!" Ranma-chan cried as she took a step forwards, "You think maybe he needs help? Is that it? Do you want our help?"

She reached out a hand to touch the light, and the figure saw and matched the gesture. There was a sudden crackling of energies and then abruptly the man staggered forward out into the open as the light from the koi pond died. At the same moment another flash surrounded Nabiki and before she could cry out she vanished, leaving her family to gasp as Soun whirled around and cried, "Nabiki! Where are you? Where did you go to?"

"Right here, Daddy," the strange man gasped as he looked down at the redhead whose hand he was still clasping, "Thanks...whoever you are. That sure was some save. Are you related to Keiko? You look a little bit like her..."

"Huh?" Ranma asked as she looked up into the face of the stranger, seeing familiar brown eyes that were staring around with obvious confusion.

"Hey, where's Shampoo?" the strange guy asked in alarm, then blinked, "When did you get back home, Akane? And where are Perfume and Ucchan?"

"Get home?" Akane blinked, "Who's Perfume?"

"Sounds like an Amazon name," Genma remarked, "But who are you, stranger?"

"Don't try and kid around on me, Uncle Genma," the strange man smirked, "You're not getting out that easily on your monthly loan payments."

"Oh my," Kasumi remarked, "He looks and sounds a little bit like Nabiki."

"Hey, you're right," Ranma-chan blinked her eyes and said, "Nabiki?"

"That's only if you're family," Nabiki-kun replied with a smirk, "For anyone not directly related to me by either marriage or engagement you can call me Kaneda. Now...from the top again, who exactly are you?"

"Ah...Ranma Saotome," the red-haired person replied, seeing the skepticism in the other man's expression.

"Get out of town," the tall man chuckled, "You think I don't know my own husband? Now who are you really? Are you related to my Ranchan?"

"Husband?" came the immediately chorused reaction from all others besides the handsome youth in attendance.

"Right," Nabiki-kun frowned, "Don't any of you know me? Daddy? Pops? Akane, Kasumi, old woman? I'm Tendo Nabiki...um...or maybe I should make that Saotome Nabiki, do you think?"

It was beginning to dawn on Nabiki-kun that something was very wrong here as normally it took her family a little longer than this to manifest a group facefault...

Nabiki was thrown clear of the koi pond and landed on the dirt, rolling a few seconds before coming to a rude stop, feeling badly bruised and battered.

"Ow!" she said to no one in particular, "That hurt!"

"Airen!" a familiar voice cried out.

"Nabiki!" cried an equally concerned Ranma, and before she knew what was about he was bending over her with deep concern in his blue eyes, cradling her shoulders with one strong arm as he poised over her and said, "Are you all right? What happened?"

"Ah...I don't know, Ranma-kun," Nabiki looked up at him in confusion, wondering why Saotome was looking at her in such a peculiar manner, "One minute I was standing there, then all of a sudden..."

"Stupid Pervert Master!" an angry voice declared, "You might have hurt Airen, you no good bad person!"

"Hey," Ukyo remarked to the woman beside her, "Wasn't Nabchan wearing something different before she fell into the pond?"

"That's not the only thing that seems different," Perfume said as her nostrils flared while she seemed to be experience something of a quandary, "The same scent...yet very different!"

"Very true," Cologne agreed, her expression full of puzzlement as there were other things about this Nabiki that did not jibe with her apprentice.

"Huh?" Nabiki turned to look back at the house, seeing a familiar mane of purple hair as she murmured, "When did Shampoo and Ukyo arrive...and who's that with them?"

"Very funny," Ranma said as he gathered her up into his arms, then growled, "No complaints, you got it? I just want to see if you're all right, I'm not trying to imply that you can't handle yourself or nothing..."

Nabiki's eyes were very wide as she found herself being carried back into the house by an obviously much-concerned Ranma. His whole manner towards her was confusing and disturbing, and while it was far from an unpleasant experience to be carried in his arms the very fact that he was treating her like delicate porcelain was confusing her to no end. Nabiki hastily swept the gallery with a glance but saw no hint of Akane bearing any giant mallets.

Then she received the next big shock of the evening as yet another familiar face surfaced from the crowd and said, "Are you all right, Nabiki-chan? I do hope you didn't hit your head on anything landing in that koi pond."

"Auntie Nodoka?" Nabiki's wide-eyed gaze swept over Ranma and Genma, who were both in human and male form respectively, which prompted her to hesitantly ask, "Are you all right with this?"

"What Airen mean?" asked Shampoo, bringing Nabiki's gaze around to see the anxious face of the purple haired Amazon leaning over her with a distraught expression. She put her hands to Nabiki's head and began to feel around before saying, "I no feel any bump or bruise...maybe it shock of hitting the water..."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Ukyo cried, "I just noticed that she didn't change!"

"You're right," said the brown haired Amazon standing closely by Ukyo's side, "She must not have landed in the water after all, either that or the Nanban mirror did something to affect her."

"Or something of that nature," Cologne murmured ominously as she watched this Nabiki slowly take in what appeared to be an unfamiliar situation.

"The Nanban...?" Nabiki was starting to form a rather unpleasant hypothesis as she swallowed and said, "Uh, yeah...that could be it..."

"Never mind all that," Ranma said impatiently as he pushed his way past the crowd and headed for the stairs, "Somebody call for Doctor Tofu. I'll see to it that Nabchan gets some rest first."

"I come with you," Shampoo said immediately.

"I'll join you after I telephone the Doctor," Kasumi began, but Nodoka merely smiled and said, "Don't bother, Kasumi-chan. Leave that up to me, you go and help Ranma and Shampoo to tend to your little sister."

"Thank you, Auntie," Kasumi brightened and fell in step behind Shampoo as they both followed an anxious Ranma, who was still handling Nabiki as if afraid to break her.

For her own part Nabiki was trying to make sense of why her family was behaving more insanely than usual. Everyone seemed to be utterly concerned about her, basically a nice (if weird) feeling, but not one to which she was accustomed. Ranma was confusing her with his chivalrous actions and the deep emotion in his eyes that clearly said without words, "I will protect you!" Shampoo's behavior was even more of a puzzle as Nabiki could not recall a time when they had gotten along well enough for her to have earned such a look of deep worry. Then there was Kasumi, who had always been close to Nabiki but had never looked upon her little sister in quite **that** way!

It was all very confusing, and Nabiki had few clues to go on in formulating a theory as to why so many things looked different about the place. Her ancestral home had a different décor from what she was used to, and when they got to her room the shock was the loudest there for most of her furniture was missing with only a few commodities and decorations in sight, and no trace at all of her personal home computer!

[What the heck was going on here] she wondered as Ranma lay her down upon the futons that Shampoo unrolled for her benefit. She was just beginning to wonder what had happened to her soft goose-down bed that something belatedly occurred to her and she turned to see Kasumi handing a baby with purple hair over to Shampoo, who accepted the child before baring one breast and offering it to the infant.

She looked from Shampoo to Ranma and said, "Congratulations."

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "What about?"

"This has gotta be a dream," Nabiki said half to herself, ignoring how real it felt to be laying down on that damned futon, "I mean...you and Shampoo. Did something happen while I was out and the two of you went off and got married?"

"Married?" Ranma blinked, "Of course we're married. You think I'd go and do a thing like that behind your back?"

"What Airen mean?" Shampoo asked, looking up from the suckling baby, "Why you think Shampoo and Ranma married already without you, Airen? You is being silly."

"Oh my," Kasumi remarked, "Do you have amnesia, Nabiki? Don't you remember that Shampoo is your wife and that you're the father of her baby?"

"MY WIFE?" Nabiki half sat-up as she stared at her older sister in dismay, "Baby? No way! You've gotta be kidding me..."

"No such luck," Ranma sniffed, "You and Sham-chan definitely married a while back, and at least by Amazon law so are we, not that it's gonna interfere with when we set a wedding date for Perfume and Ucchan..."

"Wedding date?" Nabiki's voice was unconsciously a few octaves higher than normal.

"Well...yeah," Ranma looked both hurt and puzzled, "Don't you remember? Our parents set it up when they engaged us, not that I really mind, having such a cute and talented girl for a wife..."

The shock that registered on her expression must have conveyed to the concerned trio hovering around her that something was very wrong about the picture. The color drained from Nabiki's face and for a few seconds her mouth hung open, eyes wide with shock and disbelief at that pronouncement.

"W-W-Wife...?" was all Nabiki managed to get out before she promptly fainted...

"Whoah!" Nabiki-kun shook his head, "What a rush that was! At least that time portal thingie doesn't seem to have left me any worse for wear. We'll have to fish the mirror out of the pond, of course, but I don't think the Koi will mind, and since I'm already wet..."

"Excuse me," Happosai said, looking up at the strange brown haired man, "But you claim that your name is Tendo Nabiki, but you prefer to also be known by the name Kaneda?"

"I don't prefer it, Master Happosai," Nabiki replied, sweeping the blank-eyed stares and puzzled expressions of the others, "But it's a lot easier to go by that name than it is to try and convince outsiders about my curse. Uh...why is everyone looking at me like that?"

"Curse?" Ranma-chan asked, "You have a Jusenkyo curse?"

Nabiki-kun frowned, "This is getting a little tiresome. Are you people telling me you've completely forgotten? And why is everybody standing around looking like I just grew a second head or something? What exactly is going on here?"

"That's what I want to know," Ranma-chan replied, then gasped in relief as she felt hot water pour over her head, causing her to expand back to his normal size and proportions.

Nabiki-kun was totally shocked by this transformation and gasped, "Ranchan? It was you all along?"

"Oh my," Kasumi said, bringing the teapot over with some reluctance before pouring it over Nabiki's head, causing the handsome man to collapse inward until he resolved into the form of her younger sister, "Nabiki...it was you all along?"

"Thanks, Oneechan," Nabiki said in relief before turning back towards a thunderstruck Ranma, "Now as I was about to say, why didn't you tell me your father took you to Jusenkyo on that last training mission that you and Ryoga took together? What were you thinking after all the warnings I'd given you about that? Didn't you believe what I told you? Wasn't my example enough to convince you that it was a bad idea to even go there?"

"Hah?" Ranma asked numbly, then he recovered enough to say, "Nabiki...you turn into a guy? Since when did this happen?"

"Since nearly a year ago, silly," Nabiki frowned, reading the boy's vivid blue eyes and slowly drawing a nasty conclusion, "You aren't pulling my leg, are you? You really don't remember any of it, do you? None of you remembers it...what is going on here?"

"Nabiki," her father came forward, "Why don't you go inside and lie down? You've obviously very tired, and if something terrible has happened to you and you now are cursed like Ranma..."

"Shampoo!" Nabiki suddenly whirled around in obvious panic, "Where is she? Where is my-where is OUR baby?"

"What?" Akane blinked, "What was that? What are you talking about, Nabiki? What baby?"

"I've got to find her!" Nabiki cried, moving off from Ranma's side with such speed that the sex-changing boy barely had time to blink, and with one powerful leap Nabiki cleared the walls to the dojo and vanished into the night.

"Hey!" Ranma protested, "Come back here! You can't run off like that, I want some answers!"

He hurried to catch up with the middle Tendo daughter, not needing to be egged on in this effort by Soun and Akane. He was trying to figure out how Nabiki had managed that leap, not to mention how she had managed to move so fast before he could think to intersect her. As much as he and Nabiki had always been at odds in one way or another, he still couldn't let her run off and possibly be injured by roaming the streets of Nerima at night. Things could get a little rough in their area and he didn't want a wounded Nabiki to be on his conscience.

It turned out that she was moving even faster than he had imagined, running along the tops of various buildings as she leaped the gap between one house and another. She was moving so fast that even he was having trouble keeping up but he needed to catch up with her so he set himself a hard pace and moved his body with all the speed that he had acquired in a lifetime.

Nabiki was headed in a straight line towards the Furinkan financial district, on an unerring course for a certain restaurant, which was a big surprise to Ranma. He just barely managed to catch up with her as she entered through the front door, boldly going inside unannounced as she cried out, "Shampoo! Where are you? Are you anywhere in here...?"

"Why would she be?" a familiar voice asked, causing Nabiki to whirl about and find Ukyo behind the front counter.

"Ucchan!" Nabiki said in relief, "Thank the Kami you're here! I..." she paused, looking down at Ukyo's abdomen then saying, "What happened to you?"

"Funny thing, Sugar," Ukyo replied with a narrowing of her eyes, "I was about to ask you the same question."

"Nabiki," Ranma said as he came into the restaurant, "What's the matter? Why did you run off like that..."

"Ranchan," Ukyo brightened, "Don't tell me Akane's been cooking again? Want an Okonomiyaki Surprise?"

"Sure," Ranma said absently, "Not a problem. Nabiki...what's wrong? Why are you dressed like that, and why did you run away...?"

"Shampoo," Nabiki came up to seize him by the shoulders, "Where is she, Ranchan? I have to find her!"

"Ranchan?" Ukyo blinked, "Hey!"

"Find her?" Ranma blinked, "Then why did you come here? She usually works at the Nekohanten."

"The Nekohanten?" Nabiki let him go, seeming more confused than before, "Don't tell me there are two restaurants? Why is everybody acting so abnormally, and what happened to Shampoo and my baby?"

"Whoah," Ukyo blinked, "Don't tell me she ate some of Akane's cooking? What did it do to her, give her hallucinations?"

"I don't know," Ranma admitted, "Happosai fixed the Nanban mirror and I was gonna use it to get back to China and find a cure for my curse, only it fell into the koi pond, and the next thing I know is Nabiki here is acting pretty strange."

"The koi pond?" Nabiki blinked her eyes then said, "There was a flash of light when I fell in...that must be it! It must have sent me into the past before you guys remember me...only that doesn't make sense if you're also here, Ucchan. What is this, some crazy parallel dimension?"

Ranma blinked, "You think so?"

Nabiki looked at him sharply again and said, "Where is this Nekohanten? Can you show it to me, Ranchan?"

"But...why would you want to go there?" Ranma asked in obvious confusion.

"Because I need to get some answers," Nabiki said flatly, "And I assume that Cologne also works at this other place or is nearby so I can consult with her?"

"Well, yeah," Ukyo said hesitantly, "But help you with what? What do you mean by a parallel dimension? Is this like in all those Anime vids or something?"

"Something is definitely very wrong here," Nabiki frowned as she turned back to Ukyo, "Can I trouble you for a glass of water there, Ucchan? And some hot water?"

"Huh?" Ukyo asked, but when she saw the firmness in Nabiki's stare she calmly took a glass and filled it, then held it out to Nabiki, who accepted it then splashed herself with its contents, prompting Ukyo's eyes to go wide as she witnessed the transformation, "N-nani?"

Once again Ranma found himself looking up at a taller version of Nabiki, a male Nabiki that outweighed him by more than a few kilograms and strongly reminded one of a younger version of Tendo Soun. This Nabiki-kun was incredibly handsome and charismatic (if a little bishonen for his tastes) and looked strong enough to lift Ranma with one hand had he the inclination.

"The hot water, please?" Nabiki asked, accepting the teapot that Ukyo had seemed to keep near the stove for some reason. He had to ask the astonished chef twice before Ukyo snapped out of her daze and passed him the hot water, which Nabiki used to restore herself to normal.

"That's better," Nabiki sighed, "Now...can either of you show me to the Nekohanten?"

"Uh...sure," Ranma said reluctantly, turning around to head out the front entrance.

"Wait up you two!" Ukyo called out as she vaulted over her counter, "I was about to close up anyway, and there's no way I'm going to sit back and hear the end of this later."

"Suit yourself, Ucchan," Nabiki replied, managing to recover from her own surprise at discovering that Ukyo was no longer pregnant, which only increased her anxiety and made her wish more than ever to find Shampoo and her baby, or possibly Cologne so she might sit down with someone intelligent who might be able to advise her on how to undo the current situation...

"What do you suppose was up with Nabiki?" asked Ukyo while she and Perfume helped out by cleaning the living room table of its empty bowls and dishes, "Was she looking pretty stressed out to you before Ranma took her upstairs?"

"She sure didn't behave like the Nabiki we know," Perfume agreed, "But she had the right body-scent and mannerisms so I don't think she's an imposter."

"Maybe not an imposter," Ukyo frowned, "More like a different version of the Nabiki we know...softer, less hardy, almost like she's lived a sedentary existence when I know for a fact that she's been intensely training for as long as we have..."

"Excuse me," a voice said, causing them to turn around in time to see the huge furry form that was leaning against the wood frame of the patio entrance, "I need help...quick...I've got to find Tendo Nabiki, do you know where this might be? It's very urgent..."

"A-werewolf?" Ukyo asked as Perfume flexed her arms and was suddenly holding a pair of broad axes.

"Technically yes," the fearsome furry creature that looked like a dog or wolf standing on its hind legs, "But I won't harm you. My name is Talbain...John...Talbain..."

That was all he managed to get out before collapsing to the floor of the chamber, a dozen arrows sticking out of his body at various angles. Ukyo looked at the creature then at Perfume, then back at the body again, then as one they both sighed and moved forward with the intent of dragging him outside where they could begin to get some answers...

"Ohhh, what a dream I just had, or should I say a nightmare?" Nabiki said as she at last regained consciousness, finding herself as before in the room of a person who seemed to live a lot more Spartan existence than that to which even she was accustomed.

"How are you feeling, Daughter-in-law?" she heard Cologne say and turned to regard the wizened old Amazon gnome regarding her with a most peculiar expression.

"Daughter-in-law?" Nabiki gulped, eyes going wide once again, "Ah...fine, not counting the fact that everything in my life seems to have gone completely crazy. What the heck is going on here? Am I dreaming all of this, and what was all that about me being married to Shampoo and engaged to Ranma?"

"There is quite a bit more to it than that," Cologne began, "Perhaps you might help us to understand you by telling us what passes for normal in your outlook?"

Nabiki turned to see the worried expressions of not only Ranma, Shampoo and Kasumi but of her father, Genma and Nodoka, not to mention the baby held in Shampoo's arms, which definitely proved that she had not been imagining the previous moments before she had fainted.

"Ah...well," she replied with a curious reluctance, "First off I'm not engaged to anybody, at least not that I'm aware of-let alone married!-and secondly the last I checked it was Akane who was Ranma's iinazuke..."

"Akane?" Ranma reacted, "No way! That'd be like marrying my own sister!"

"Son," Genma chided, "It's probably just a reaction to something the mirror did to her. Nabiki would never forget her promise to unite our families and carry on the Anything Goes tradition, or the commitments you both share and for which you each worked so hard to forge."

"That's right," Soun agreed, "And as designated heir to the Anything Goes school she will be a wonderful wife. Even Shampoo agrees with this..."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo nodded with a smile, "Nabiki Airen make Shampoo much, much happy, and since Ranma marry Airen he become Shampoo's second husband..."

"Hold it!" Nabiki sat up, "Time out! There is where I passed out the last time, people, so if you don't mind me saying so, I need to take this one step at a time...so explain to me again how I wound up in the Twilight zone with everything gone completely crazy!"

"Do you mean to say you don't remember promising yourself to my son, Nabiki-chan?" Nodoka asked in confusion.

"I mean I don't remember squat beyond that funny light in the koi pond when Gramps knocked Ranma into the drink, so please humor me and explain all this again. I'm married to BOTH Shampoo AND Ranma?!"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo replied, scooting forward on her knees to present the bundle in her arms for Nabiki's inspection, "You no remember marry Shampoo, surely you remember Lylac, our daughter?"

"Our...?" Nabiki gasped as the bundle was carefully placed into her arms, and before she could think to protest she gazed down at the innocent face of a sleeping infant...a child with purple locks of hair, probably no more than a few weeks old at most and very tiny.

"Oh my," Kasumi said as she came to join them, "That isn't how you hold a baby, Imotochan. Here, let me show you..."

No one had noticed that Kasumi had been holding a glass of water in her hand until she brought it forward to "seemingly-accidentally" spill it over Nabiki's head, gasping as she did this, "Oh my! I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to..."

Kasumi came to an abrupt halt and gaped as Nabiki gasped, "What did you do that for, Sis? Who did you think I was, Ranma?"

"Huh?" Ranma gasped, "You didn't change!"

"Change?" Nabiki looked at him with a sinking sensation that she was not going to like the answer to her next question, "Change into what?"

"Into my Son-in-law," Cologne replied, the only one present who did not appear surprised at Nabiki's non-changing status, "It's as I feared...you are not our Tendo Nabiki."

"Aiyaa!" Shampoo cried, snatching the child back out of Nabiki's hands and clutched the baby close to her bosom, "You no real Airen? Who are you? What you do with Airen?"

"Huh?" Ranma looked from his Amazon wife to Nabiki and back again, "What do you mean she's not our Nabiki?"

"Calm yourselves," Cologne spoke firmly to head off a sudden avalanche of protests and exclamations from the others, "As I was about to say this is not the Tendo Nabiki that we know, but it most assuredly is Tendo Nabiki from somewhere else. It seems the Nanban mirror has exchanged our Nabiki with a different version of the same woman, albeit one who does not have the Curse of Jusenkyo."

"Jusenkyo?" now Nabiki really did know that she wasn't going to like hearing this, "Don't tell me I turn into a...?"

"A man?" Kasumi replied, "I'm afraid so, Nabiki-chan. Whenever you get wet with cold water you become a man...a very manly man, with strong, broad shoulders, a powerful frame and such a cute little..."

"I-I get the picture, Oneechan," Nabiki wondered just what the other version of her did look like to have this kind of effect oon her normally aloof sister. It did not help when she tried to distract herself by turning to look at Shampoo, who was still cradling the baby, "Then I...I went to the Amazon village and got into a fight with Shampoo...and I wound up getting married?"

"Then you do remember?" Ranma asked hopefully, his expression not unlike a puppy dog as he sought to find the woman he thought had been his blushing bride of almost a week running.

"No," Nabiki replied, almost hating herself for having to quash that hope as she continued, "I was just making a guess. You mean I really did marry Shampoo...and I...and I..." she turned and looked at the baby that Shampoo was still holding.

"Who you?" Shampoo asked in confusion, "You look and sound so much like Airen...but you no Airen of Shampoo? You do know Shampoo where you from, hai?"

"Uh...sure," Nabiki replied, "I know a Shampoo where I come from...but she's not engaged or married to me, more like she's after Ranma..."

"Huh?" Ranma asked, "Why is that?"

"Because obviously you were the one who went to Jusenkyo and got the curse," Cologne replied, "Then you and your aimless father stumbled into our village and wound up challenging my great-granddaughter for her title."

"What?" Ranma reacted, "You're telling me I turn into a girl? No way!"

"But how did this happen?" Kasumi asked, "I thought Nabiki was fostered with Uncle Saotome so that she could learn the Saotome School of Martial Arts while Ranma trained with our father..."

"What?" Nabiki turned to her, "Are you serious? I went on that training mission with Genma? What kind of an idiot is this other me anyway?"

"Hey!" Genma reacted, then winced as he saw the looks turned his way, "What did I do to deserve this?"

"You want a short list, dear?" Nodoka asked him.

Shampoo's eyes narrowed and her tone flattened like a cat's ears, "You is kind, thoughtful, considerate person whom Shampoo love more than life itself, and Shampoo no want hear anyone call Airen baka, no even if you is like Nabiki-chan I know!"

"Easy Shampoo," Ranma urged, "This has gotta be a lot to take in if she's not really our Nabiki...and I can't believe I just said that! Not our Nabiki? This is crazy!"

"No argument there," Cologne replied, "But it nonetheless begs the question of how we return you to where you properly belong AND retrieve the Tendo Nabiki that we know from where she has ventured..."

"Great-Grandmother!" an unfamiliar voice called from the doorway, "Is Nabiki well enough to come downstairs? There is someone asking to see her..."

"Tell them they must wait, child," Cologne replied, "We have a bit of a crisis right here at the moment."

"But Ucchan thinks you should come see this yourself, Elder," the brown haired Amazon Nabiki had caught a glimpse of before replied, "And I agree with my Airen that it is very urgent."

"Oh, very well," Cologne sighed as she moved towards the door, "But this had better be important..."

"Who is that?" Nabiki asked.

"Perfume?" Ranma asked, then gave a nervous laugh before adding, "That...might take some explaining..."

"Perfume is Shampoo's adopted cousin," Kasumi helpfully supplied, "She's also married to Ukyo, Ranma's other iinazuke."

Nabiki took a moment to digest that then looked towards Ranma, who gave her back a sheepish smile that made him look particularly boyish, "Other iinazuke?"

"Well, yeah," Ranma winced, "But originally it was Dad's idea, not me. He worked it out with Ucchan's father, I never even heard about it until the day I met her, almost a year ago as a matter of fact."

"What you complain about?" Shampoo eyed him with a saucy expression, "You no like idea you soon be husband four women? Shampoo think you no look too, too unhappy about idea..."

"Wait, wait," Nabiki waved a hand, "FOUR women? Does this mean Kodachi...?"

"Kodachi?" Ranma had a sudden guilty look about him, then sighed, "Nope, afraid I bombed out there. There was a time when I'd have given anything to have her just smile at me...but...well, she's seeing someone else right now, which I guess is for the better."

"And...Akane?" Nabiki asked hesitantly.

"What about Akane?" he shrugged, "That engagement's been over for almost a year now, and it never would have worked out for us anyway. We're too much alike, which is why I tend to think of her more like my little sister."

"Akane was engaged to Ranma when they were both six, which is why Ranma was fostered with us in the first place" Kasumi explained, "But now she is engaged to marry Ryoga, whom Akane loves very much. Of course she also spends a lot of time with Keiko and Kodachi, but she takes Ryoga with her sometimes, so I guess there's nothing wrong with that..."

There was another long hesitation before the young girl named Nabiki could react to this

"Then...who is the fourth woman Ranma's engaged to?" she asked, feeling a little light headed.

"Perfume-cousin," Shampoo replied, "She Ukyo's wife, so naturally Spatula girl marry boy she bring cousin with her."

"Ukyo's...wife?" Nabiki repeated, then rolled up her eyes and once again fainted...

"So you're saying you fell into the pool, but it was Nabiki who got changed?" Ukyo shook her head, "Even for you guys that sounds weird, Ranchan."

"I know," Ranma grumped, "I just know Akane's gonna say that this is all my fault and pound me for it, but with the way Nabiki's acting...we gotta go find Cologne and see if she can explain this."

"How much farther?" Nabiki asked, when she caught sight of a sign and said, "Nekohanten? You mean that's it?"

"Yeah," Ranma said, "That's where Shampoo and her great-grandmother work, but before you go in there's something you ought to know..."

Nabiki did not wait to hear his explanation, she fairly flew across the street, headed for the doors of the fabled Cat Café of Nerima.

"What the...?" Ranma turned his head to track her hasty movements, then he said aloud, "And they call me impulsive..."

"I dunno, Ranchan," Ukyo remarked, "There's something about her that makes me think she ain't used to taking directions from anybody. Pretty-take charge, even for Nabiki."

"We gotta go in there before..." Ranma started to say when they heard a loud, "AAAIIIYYYEEE!" followed by an equally loud crash and the sound of breaking furniture, to which he winced and said, "Never mind," and started running with Ukyo hot on his heals.

As they came charging into the room they saw Nabiki sitting up from amid a pile of broken tables and chairs, one cheek very red with a hand print and she was wearing a terribly hurt expression as she plaintively cried out, "Shampoo?"

"You no touch Amazon like that, you pervert girl!" Shampoo cried, "What you think you do come in here and embrace Shampoo? You crazy, sneaky girl think Shampoo let you hug in manner of Ailen?"

"Shampoo, leave her alone!" Ranma called out, "She's not in her right mind! Nabiki..."

"Ailen?" Shampoo's whole attitude changed as she saw him, going from shock and anger to utter delight as she bounced from where she had been standing to put her arms around him in an enthusiastic hug, "Wode Ailen!"

"Hey!" Ukyo immediately objected.

"Shampoo?" Nabiki's voice trembled with shock, hurt and dismay as she started to get back to her feet when all of a sudden the arms of Mousse wrapped around her in a hug as the man himself cried, "Shampoo! I love you-!"

Nabiki never even turned around as her fist shot up into a palm strike that caught the Chinese boy under the jaw and lifted him up off his heals to slam his head against the ceiling of the restaurant. Mousse fell back down to earth, quite unconscious, and took her former place amid the ruins of chairs and tables.

"Back off, Monkey-boy!" Nabiki snarled, "Or I'll tell Kurumi that you stopped using your contacts!"

"Wow," Ukyo blinked, "Did you see that? She beat Mousse one-handed!"

"It was pretty good," Ranma replied while trying to pry himself loose from Shampoo. It was, of course, about this time when Cologne came out to investigate the disturbance.

"What's all this?" Cologne turned from the familiar sight of her great granddaughter trapping her husband in an Amazon glomp with Ukyo standing close by burning holes with her gaze and instead focused on the more novel sight of Tendo Nabiki, who was manifesting a battle aura. That got her attention right away as she said, "Oh dear me...what has happened to you, child? You look as if you lost your best friend, or has the Tokyo Stock Exchange gone into another slump?"

"Shampoo..." Nabiki's tone was stricken, but with great effort she turned to regard Cologne and said, "Honored Elder, please help me! Something happened to me and I don't know how to undo it!"

"Indeed?" Cologne took notice of the head-shaped hole in the ceiling directly above the middle Tendo sister, then calculated trajectories and glanced at the motionless form of her sometimes hired help and came to a few conclusions. Turning about she said, "Come with me to the rear of this establishment and explain your story. I should be most interested in learning the particulars of this curious matter."

Nabiki took one last forlorn look at Shampoo then obediently followed the elder. Where else could one do when the world itself had turned utterly crazy...

Cologne followed Perfume out onto the back porch from where she was able to spot Ukyo standing over a figure laying face-down in the dirt with many arrows protruding from his backside. The amazing thing that immediately caught Cologne's interest was not the mere fact that the figure appeared to still be alive-though that in itself was amazing-but that by its hairy mane and inhuman features this clearly was no ordinary man but rathher a Werewolf, and one she recognized with no need for formal introductions.

"John Talbain," Cologne said aloud, "To what do we owe the dubious pleasure?"

"Matron Cologne," the Werewolf in question grunted faintly, "Forgive me...if I don't get up...but would you please remove these things from my hide?"

"Most certainly," Cologne replied, "Perfume, would you kindly extract the arrows from my esteemed colleague here? He can't be very comfortable in that position."

"But Elder..." Perfume started to protest, but when she saw the look Cologne gave her she immediately nodded, "Yes, great-grandmother."

Cologne turned her gaze towards Ukyo, whom she knew was the reason for Perfume's evident reluctance. For her benefit, as well as her adopted heir, she said, "Talbain is a member of a very ancient tribe to which the Amazons owe a very ancient pact. He comes from a long line of Lycanthropic individuals who have passed down their curse through so many generations that the ability to shift from animal to human form is as natural as breathing. Have no fear that he will do anything rash with me standing nearby to assure that the alliance is honored..."

"Yeah, whatever," the Werewolf grunted faintly, "Just get on with it, will you?"

Perfume knelt down beside the Werewolf and crossed her arms as she summoned up her Chi. She gazed down upon his furry hide as if to peer beyond the limits of his body, and then with a summoning cry she performed a modified form of the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken, her hands blurring as they plucked out the arrows, holding half a dozen in either hand with the metal barbs intact even though they were clearly designed to fragment upon impact. Talbain grunted once at this quick extraction, then sighed in relief, "Not bad...she did that almost as smoothly as you could."

"Perfume has always been a very fine student," Cologne said with evident satisfaction, her tone hardening to an edge as she added, "Now perhaps you might care to explain why someone tried to use your hide for a pin-cushion?"

"Hey, it wasn't my idea," Talbain replied with more strength as his tail started twitching, "I was having a friendly argument with an old enemy when our party got busted by some clowns who mistook me for a Vampire ally. Lucky for me they were vampire hunters, or those tips might have been coated in Silver."

"Amateurs," Cologne said dismissively, "Shall I guess the party you encountered, or am I presuming too much of the situation?"

"It was him all right," Talbain said as he sat upright, "Dimitri Maximof. He's in the neighborhood and up to no good. I was coming here to warn you people about that when he ambushed me rather sudden-like, and then the both of us got ambushed."

Ukyo and Perfume were gaping in mutual surprise as they saw the Werewolf struggle to obtain his footing. Already the wounds in his hide had closed, and very soon the fur smoothed over to cover where his wounds had been. A few more seconds after this he seemed fully restored to whatever it was that passed for normal with him. To all appearances he looked just like a wolf, albeit a wolf standing on its hind legs with paws that had opposable thumbs, and he stood close to seven feet in height with very broad shoulders, giving him a kind of dignified bearing unusual in an animal of almost any regular species.

"So Dimitri is here in Japan," Cologne said thoughtfully, "Why did you seek to warn me?"

"A mutual friend of ours said he might be looking up one Tendo Nabiki," Talbain replied, "You know Dimitri, he's always out to improve his power base by mastering the abilities of talented mortals who come to his attention. Well, it seems your protégé has come to his attention, so naturally he wants to check her out, find out what she's made of and maybe even absorb a little of her essence..."

"Absorb her essence?" Ukyo said with a queasy expression.

"Dimitri's a rogue Vampire," Talbain started to say, "Outcast from the major clans and..."

Of a sudden Perfume interposed herself between the Werewolf and Ukyo, hissing as she flexed her hands, which were suddenly filled by double-bladed axes.

"Uh...what's with her?" Talbain asked warily, "I didn't mean any offense..."

Ukyo placed a hand on Perfume's shoulder and said, "Per-chan's just reacting in type. She's really a sweet person most of the time, but a little overprotective. Down, kitty-cat, let the nice Doggie tell us about this threat to Nab-chan..."

"Kitty-cat?" Talbain asked with a puzzled expression.

"Jusenkyo," Cologne replied.

"Oh," Talbain as if that one word was all the needed explanation, "Sorry to hear that, I hear those Curses are a real bitch. I had cousin who went there...well, never mind about that, the point is that Dimitri is a really bad-ass Vampire who doesn't play by any rules but his own, and if he has his sites set on your friend, then you'd better take steps to protect yourself, like maybe go into hiding, preferably on some other planet."

"Our mutual friend," Cologne remarked, "Legion?"

"Yeah, Frank's the one who sent me," Talbain replied, "He didn't know how close Dimitri was or he might have come himself. Those two go way back, even farther than with me. I'd know he'd like to nail a piece of the old bloodsucker to his trophy wall, but...then again, who wouldn't?"

"Okay," Ukyo said, "So you're saying Frankenstein sent you to help us out with Dracula..."

"Oh no," Talbain replied, "Vlad wouldn't have anything to do with Dimitri after that scum drew an extra Ace during a game of poker. There's just something a gentleman can't overlook, you know? Anyhow, I'll be in the neighborhood if you people need me, but I can't be of much use just hanging around out here like a moving target for those Vamp-hunters. Times like this I wish Donovan Bane was the type to carry a Pager or a cell phone, but I'm all you've got right now, unless Felicia manages to make time with her own devices..."

"Oh my," Kasumi's voice caused everyone's head to turn around, "Do we have more company? I do wish someone would tell me these things in advance so I could prepare enough tea for everybody."

Talbain reacted in character and whistled, "Who is that honey?"

"That's Kasumi," Ukyo frowned, "Be nice, she's virtually the center of this household."

"Wouldn't think of being anything but nice," Talbain managed a polite bow with a sweep of one paw as if to add flourish, "You grace us with your beauty, gentle lady. Thank you for your offer of hospitality, but I must sadly be off on other business."

"Well, thank you, Mister Werewolf, but I..." was all Kasumi managed to say before Talbain turned away from her and sought the distant skyline.

With that the Werewolf gathered his strength and effected a powerful leap that carried him out onto the roof of their household. Another two bounds later carried him over their wall and then he vanished into the night with as little fanfare as his entrance.

"Oh my," remarked Kasumi, "We certainly do meet some interesting people in this district."

"Indeed," Cologne tacitly agreed with that understatement, "Was there something you wished to tell us, Child? I would have expected you to be looking after your displaced sister."

"I was going to," Kasumi replied, "But when Doctor Tofu arrived they sent me down here to make some herbal tea. It really is very odd how people act so funny whenever Doctor Tofu pays us a visit. He really is such a sweet man, even if he does seem rather eccentric for a physician."

Ukyo and Perfume exchanged amused looks, knowing perfectly well why it was a very bad idea to have Kasumi in the same room as Doctor Tofu. Normally he really was a very fine physician, but whenever the eldest Tendo daughter was in his presence...well...some fates were just too gruesome to be contemplated...

"Okay," Nabiki tried once again, "Let me take this from the top. You're saying that I'm married to Shampoo AND Ranma and have a Jusenkyo curse that turns me into a guy, which is how that other me and Shampoo wound up having a kid together, but Ranma's also engaged to marry Ukyo, who's already married to an Amazon named Perfume, who somehow managed to get Kuonji pregnant? Am I with it so far?"

"Yes," Ranma nodded, "That's the deal with us. I know it sounds a bit strange..."

"Strange?" Nabiki looked at him blandly, ignoring Doctor Tofu's admonitions about not letting herself get too upset, "Strange doesn't even make the down payment! Try effing unbelievable!"

"Language," Nodoka titched, "There is a minor present. You don't want to be setting a poor example for your counterpart's daughter?"

Nabiki pointedly ignored that question and resumed, "So you're also telling me that you don't have any interest in Akane, and the fact that she's engaged to marry Ryoga doesn't bother you in the slightest?"

"Why should it?" Ranma asked in obvious confusion, "She seems happy enough with him, and if Ryoga's right for her why shouldn't I be happy?"

"But...what about his little problem?" Nabiki tried to delicately hint at the sensitive subject that she was certain would doom any hopes for Ryoga with Akane.

"Little problem?" Ranma blinked, "You mean the fact that he gets lost all the time? Well hey, it's Akane's business, and if you wants to deal with that..."

"You mean he doesn't have a Jusenkyo curse?" Nabiki came right out and blurted.

"Jusenkyo?" Soun replied, "You mean the Ryoga of your world changes into something else?"

"Probably a warthog," Shampoo sniffed."

"Now Ms. Tendo," Tofu gently admonished the Amazon, "You really don't mean that about your future brother-in-law."

"Yes Shampoo do," she said crossly, "Him have temper of wild pig, and tusks to prove it!"

"Ah...okay," Nabiki decided to drop the subject and went on, "You don't have a Jusenkyo curse either, Ranma-kun, and neither does Shampoo, so it's pretty obvious that our worlds have very different histories, at least as far as it concerns our family situation. So I'm the designated heir in this world and a top-notch martial artist..."

"The best in all Nerima," Genma said proudly, "Save only for my son, and I was the one who trained you both."

"You were also the one who knocked me into that Cursed Spring," Nabiki said narrowly, then after receiving the satisfaction of seeing him wince she glanced around the room and said, "So...what's my other self like, other than the heap of praises Shampoo here's been spelling out? Am I any good with money, and if so...why do I live like a hermit?"

"Hermit?" Ranma almost laughed, getting to his feet as he walked over to one wall panel and flipped it over to reveal a seventeen-inch flat-screen monitor with built-in keyboard. He slid another panel to one side and revealed a computer PC tower. He tapped a button to power it on and it booted within a minute, revealing a wallpaper image of the family crowded together on the back porch as if captured from a group photograph.

Nabiki's eyes got very wide and then she said, "I've got the money to afford this?"

"This is nothing," Genma replied, "You got resources even I don't know about from your investments stocks and security bonds. While we were traveling together you managed to accumulate a lot of raw capitol..."

"Much of it gained through illegal gambling and numerous swindles you both engineered," Nodoka said crossly, causing Genma to wince a little.

"I...did all that?" Nabiki got to her feet and came to stand beside Ranma staring at the homemade screen saver. She eyed him curiously then said, "PC and not Mac?"

"You said the Macs available all had software compatibility problems," Ranma replied, "You got a good deal from a friend of a friend. All I know is that the warranty's good for five years and you've taught me how to do some basic stuff like call up your slide charts and monthly tables of earnings for the dojo."

Nabiki stared at the picture more closely, seeing Tatawaki Kuno and Kodachi standing alongside Natsume, Kurumi and a curious redhead who looked a lot like Ranma's cursed form. There was even Mousse standing beside Kurumi, and the Amazon named Perfume positioned right beside Ukyo who was standing over Shampoo, who was in turn sitting down with the nursing baby in her arms, and right beside her...

Was Nabiki!

Nabiki stared at her counterpart, seeing the face of a young girl with a knowing smile that could have been hers in all respects but one, a mirror image of her own trademark sardonic smile...that one respect being the way she was leaning over Shampoo while Ranma hovered protectively over them both. The impression this image conveyed was of a very happy, close-knit family with clearly defined ties and stable romantic relationships...almost the complete opposite of what she was accustomed to in her own life.

"Who took the picture?" she asked with faint dismay in her expression.

"Hinako Sensei," Ranma replied, then glanced nervously over his shoulder before coaching his voice in a low, conspiratorial tone, "She's been coming by pretty regularly now...and I think she's got an interest in Uncle Tendo...I mean your father. I really shouldn't say anything about it..."

"Right," Nabiki could not help noticing a slightly cross expression in Nodoka's usually charming features, so she turned back to the picture image and said, "What about this redhead? If that's not you, then who is she?"

"Keiko?" Ranma replied, his expression suddenly a mixture of shy embarrassment and mild irritation, "She's an old buddy of yours from Middle school who came to stay with us for several months, but she now lives over at the Kuno mansion."

"With the Kuno's?" Nabiki blinked, "What is she, Kuno's girlfriend?"

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "Uh...no, it's Natsume who's seeing 'Tachi-san on the sidelines. She's been helping to nurse him back now that he's out of drug rehab."

"Drug...?" Nabiki blinked, suddenly putting two and two together and drawing some interesting conclusions.

"Keiko's...with Kodachi," Ranma said with obvious reluctance, "They're pretty much inseparable these days, and not just because they share Jusenkyo curses."

"Wha...?" Nabiki paused before asking her next question, "Is this the part where I should save time and faint now, or are you telling me that Kodachi's having an affair with another woman and they both have the same Jusenkyo curse?"

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "Uh...no, that isn't what I was gonna tell you."

"Oh, good," Nabiki relaxed.

"Keiko turns into a vulture," Ranma continued, "'Dachi-chan turns into a ferret."

Nabiki had one of those severe moments when she was certain that the Universe was having a good laugh at her expense. It took her several efforts before she was able to say, "Y-You called her 'Dachi-chan?"

"Uh...yeah," Ranma winced like a little boy who had been caught raiding the cookie jar red-handed, "I...ah...used to have this really big crush on her-but I'm all over it now, honest! It's not like she'd ever take the time to even notice I'd existed back when I was stuck wiith that engagement to Akane, and just because she's the sister to my best friend..."

"Wha-wha-what...?" Nabiki sputtered, "Best friend?!"

"Yeah, 'Tachi," Ranma replied, "We've been best buddies for almost seven years now, which is how I first met Kodachi...ah...why are you looking at me like that, Nab-chan?"

This time it was Doctor Tofu who caught her before Nabiki could hit the floor, "I think that's enough dramatic revelations for my patient right now, people. I think everybody had best go downstairs and give her time enough to rest and reflect on what you've been telling her or it's very likely she's going to be suffering severe psychological trauma."

"You're quite right, Sensei," Nodoka replied, "Everyone back downstairs, including you, Ranma. Leave your iinazuke in the care of her qualified physician until she's ready to hear anything more about our world. I, for one, would like to hear more about the world she comes from. By all signs so far she seems like a very nice young girl, if a bit high strung."

"All right," Ranma said with obvious reluctance, putting an arm around Shampoo as the two of them glanced back at Nabiki, whom Tofu gently laid back down on her futon. As an afterthought he closed down the computer, slid the panel back down and restored appearances to normal. After all there was no reason to add further trauma by showing her the quarterly earning sheet, which were projected to be off from earnings goals by a whole eight percent for the third quarter. That just wasn't the sort of news that his Nabiki would take with good graces...

"And that's my story, Elder," Nabiki said forlornly, "I don't know how I came to be in this place where everything is so...wrong! Shampoo doesn't love me, we don't have a baby together and Ranma's still engaged to my violent, short-tempered sister. Ukyo doesn't even know who Perfume is, and Ranma's the one with the Jusenkyo curse, not me."

"I see," Cologne remarked from where she stood atop the table eyeing this VERY different version of Nabiki, "So in other words you are my Son-in-law in your world and you are engaged in an Amazon Group Marriage with Ranma, Ukyo and...Perfume," she sniffed as if in mild disbelief, "To think that a child deemed unfit to become a warrior by her own mother should grow to become our Tribal Enforcer. What a waste of talent that I did not see her potential sooner..."

"Excuse me?" Ukyo managed to close her mouth, having left it hanging open during the five minutes it took for Nabiki to explain what passed in her world for Normal, "You're saying I've got an Amazon wife who got me pregnant with Instant Nanniichuan water, and I've agreed to share Ranchan with you and Shampoo? But that's crazy!"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo said wonderingly, "Spatula girl right for once...Shampoo no agree share her Airen with any woman! How she stand being engaged to Airen of weak girl who despise her when she little?"

"Do not be too hasty," Cologne cautioned, "I was reserving the option that we might agree to a shared custody of Son-in-law should his ties to Tendo Akane prove too strong for us to dissolve. Of a certainty it is better than the alternative, which is to have you wed Mousse..."

"Aiyaa!" Shampoo cried, "No even joke about that, great grandmother!"

"Yeah," Ranma growled, "And what do you mean sharing custody? I ain't marrying nobody, especially not two women who hate each other as much as Shampoo and Akane!"

"Yeah," Ukyo growled, "Besides, Ranma is marrying me and nobody else, you got that?"

"Says you and what cavalry division?" Shampoo got to her feet and glared sparks at Ukyo, who seemed more than ready to meet her half way.

"Ladies! Please!" Nabiki begged, turning to look at Ranma as she said, "You can't be serious about marrying Akane, Ranma. You'd be dead by the end of the month, if not sooner!"

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Ranma frowned.

"I mean you two are like oil and water," Nabiki replied, "You're both stubborn as mules, thick headed, hot-tempered, rude to the point of obnoxious...shall I go on?"

"Hey!" Ranma belatedly protested.

"And you think yourself a more desirable alternative?" Cologne asked with a thoughtful expression.

"Well...yeah, now that you mention it," Nabiki looked mildly ruffled, "I'm not trying to toot my own horn here, but I think Ranchan deserves to marry somebody with brains who isn't about to pound him flat every time he says something rude or thoughtless. Either one of these girls would make a better match for him than my little sister, and confidentially I think Ranma and me make a great team on my timeline. He may have more than his share of faults," she leered, "But what he's got to make up for it more than compensates in my estimation, if you get my meaning..."

Now Ukyo and Shampoo glared uncertainly in her direction, but neither one seemed entirely sure of what to make of the announcement of another potential rival. Ranma just looked outright uncomfortable and confused by the whole situation and sought to ease the tensions of the room by saying, "Can we get back to how Nabiki got changed by the mirror? And what do we have to do to get the old one back?"

"Well, obviously if we are to restore the balance and get young Miss Tendo to her proper time and place we will need to find the Nanban mirror," Cologne said, "You did remember to take it out of the koi pond where it fell, did you not?"

"Ah..." Nabiki exchanged looks with Ranma, who rubbed the back of his head with one hand and said, "I kinda had other things on my mind..."

"Assuming it is still there, it must be retrieved immediately," Cologne replied, "At the very least it is dangerous to leave a thing like that just lying around, no matter the distractions."

"You're right," Nabiki said, "It was careless, and if it could exchange me with my other self, it might do the same thing to someone even more unsuspecting."

"Then we've got to find it," Ranma said, "Maybe it's right where we left it..."

"Assuming the old man didn't find it first," Ukyo suggested.

"Hiyaa," Shampoo agreed, "No telling what evil old pervert master do with Mirror that send him anyplace he ask."

"I just hope someone on the other side has enough sense to safeguard their mirror," Cologne said, "We will need both of them to effect the transfer."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Nabiki asked, already heading for the exit, "You guys coming?"

Ranma blinked, "Hey, wait for me!"

Ukyo also blinked and said, "This Nabiki sure has a lot more spunk than the Nabiki we know."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo agreed, "She almost act like...Ranma."

As the two young girls and ancient old crone left the restaurant a figure emerged from the shadows, flanked by another who hovered over her like a shadow within a shadow.

"Interesting," said the young seeming girl to her silent companion, "This unexpected development could work to our advantage. Come, Lamia, we must away to the Tendo estate."

The tall man-like figure in the heavy cloak wearing a mask that obscured his face made a Kabuki-like gesture and the shadows folded in upon the pair, causing them to vanish as if they had never been, with no one nearby to take notice of their absence...

Kasumi was deeply concerned about her little sister, which was far from unusual for her but in this case was motivated by other issues beyond the ones to which she was normally motivated. It was one thing to have improper feelings about the male half of one's own sister, it was quite another thing when your sister exchanged places with someone else who did not seem to have Nabiki's strong ability to adapt with unusual circumstances.

Being a careful and tidy sort, it had naturally occurred to her that the mirror was still lying in the koi pond, so she went to fetch it right after coming downstairs and seeing Mister Werewolf. With all the people coming and going from their house it was natural that she should take care of an important item that might be critical to her Nabiki's restoration.

Finding a mirror in a fish pond was not as simple a task as might be supposed, but Kasumi had lots of practice using a net to find items that were always being lost whenever someone fell into the pool, which had happened with surprising frequency ever since Nabiki and Ranma's father had returned from their training mission.

Kasumi found the Nanban mirror and quickly dried it off on her apron, giving an apologetic smile to the koi who came to investigate her activities. She began to straighten up with every intention of returning to the house when she found someone standing in her way. She looked up the length of his night-dark clothing and saw a face that was long, sharp, angular and unfriendly with reddish eyes that seemed to glow, and all at once she felt herself grow very sleepy.

She began to sag into the strange man's grasp as he caught her up in strong arms with hands that were large. His smile bared wicked teeth that he seemed ready to use upon her unprotected throat when a sudden sharp sound caused him to move on the instant. With inhuman speed he caught the hurtling broad ax one-handed, then turned about to see the one who had thrown it baring its twin counterpart with a feral snarl upon her lips and murderous intent in her flashing blue eyes.

And beyond her another girl wielding what looked like an enormous baker's implement in both hands in a stance and posture that more than adequately implied her competence with same (though the bulge that she sported around her abdomen clearly indicated a pregnant condition). He was instantly both amused and intrigued as he swept the tall girl up in his arms then casually tossed the ax back at the woman who had thrown it, seeing her catch it with ease when another person would have been split right down the middle.

"Another time, ladies," he said, then vaulted into the night, levitating away as the little Japanese garden soon dwindled into a mere speck of light amid the darkness.

"Kasumi!" Ukyo cried out as Perfume hesitated to throw another ax for fear that she might harm the eldest Tendo sister.

"What is it? What happened?" cried Ranma as he came running out to join them, followed by his parents and Mister Tendo.

"Some guy just made off with Kasumi," Ukyo told them, "Perfume and me tried to stop him but he just flew away! I mean, the guy wasn't human!"

"That's putting it mildly," said the Werewolf, who alighted into the garden and said, "Sorry I was too late, that bastard slipped right around me before I even knew he was in the district."

"You!" Perfume whirled about with both axes held at the ready, "You were standing on guard! Is this your idea of helping?"

"Easy, Pussy-cat," Talbain made a warding gesture, "I screwed up, no need to rub my nose in it. It wasn't my idea to invite the big bad Vamp over for dinner..."

"Kasumi!" Soun cried, "Where is he taking her? What is he going to do with my little girl?"

"That all depends with fang-face," Talbain growled, "If she's lucky he'll just kill her outright, if she's not lucky he might turn her into one of his servants..."

"What?" Soun looked shocked by the Werewolf's bluntness, "H-he'd hurt my little girl? Kasumi!" he wailed and fell down on his knees weeping profusely.

Talbain eyed the elder Tendo warily and murmured half to himself, "Kinda emotional for a human, isn't he?"

"You have no idea," Perfume commiserated.

"Easy there, Tendo," Genma patted Soun on the shoulders, "We'll get her back, don't you worry."

"Leave it all to us, Sir," Ranma tried to sound reassuring, "We won't let anything happen to Kasumi. And what did that guy take her for in the first place? And who the heck are you?" he added the last part in Talbain's direction.

"In answer to the second question, it's not relevant, Junior," the Werewolf replied, "As for the first part it's obvious he took her for either a hostage or as motivation."

"Motivation?" Ukyo asked.

"Dimitri Maximoff doesn't do stuff like this without a reason," Talbain replied, "He wants something, and my guess is it's your iinazuke, the girl I really came all this way to protect. Figures Dimitri would go for a secondary target of opportunity while I had my eyes on the big picture. If only I had some of my pals here we could probably take the old bloodsucker. Good thing I've got a pretty good idea where he'll go to stage his ambush."

"Ambush?" asked Ranma.

"That Challenge letter Nabiki received a while ago," said Genma, "Wasn't the name on that challenge supposed to be from someone named Dimitri?"

"Hey, you're right, Pop," Ranma exclaimed, "I never even thought of that! That must be the guy who issued the challenge to Nab-chan!"

"Only our Nabiki isn't available at the moment," said Nodoka, "And without her to stand up for the challenge..."

"There'll be nobody to go and rescue Kasumi," said Ukyo in dismay, her expression mirrored in the faces of many of those around her.

"What do you mean nobody?" Ranma scowled, "Kasumi's like my own big sister. Ain't nobody gonna hurt her while I'm around..."

"I know that, Ranchan," Ukyo hastily amended, "But that Maximoff creep is expecting to go up against Nabiki, and if he doesn't get his way...this is terrible! What are we going to do?"

"We'll go ourselves," Perfume replied, "YOU will stay and look after Nabiki, Airen."

"Hey," Ukyo frowned, "Since when did you start calling the shots in this marriage? I thought I was supposed to be the dominant partner."

"That was before you got pregnant," Perfume said simply, "And that makes me your protector."

"Oh yeah?" Ukyo glared at the Amazon, "And who was it got me like this anyway, pray tell?"

Perfume did not flinch as she stood her ground and said, "Exactly. You are a great warrior, Airen, but there is no way that you can endanger yourself and OUR baby."

While Ukyo was silently fuming over that Nodoka turned to Ranma and said, "Go upstairs and tell Shampoo that we'll take care of everything. She must stay close to Nabiki and her child and see to it no stranger enters or leaves uninvited."

"We?" Ranma asked his mother.

"I'm coming along for this," Nodoka said firmly, a dangerous glint in her eyes as she added, "I helped raise Kasumi and watched her turn into a wonderful young woman, and there is no way I am leaving her in any kind of danger. I have promises of my own to keep to her late mother."

"Nodoka-chan," Soun said tearfully, "I can't begin to thank you..."

"Thank us after we get Kasumi back to you safe and sound old friend," Genma nodded, "We're going after her now, so everybody who can grab some holy water and some weapons..."

"Holy water?" Ukyo blinked, "Where are we going to get stuff like that at this time of night?"

"We will improvise," said Cologne, who had just arrived on the scene with Happosai, "I take it from your attitude that we have arrived too late to be of assistance? I told you the matter was urgent, old fool, but you had to stop in and raid that bathhouse..."

"Hey," Happosai shrugged, "At my age I need an occasional recharge."

"Elder," Perfume called out, "The creature we were warned about has taken Kasumi..."

"Has he now?" Cologne's eyes narrowed, "Very foolish of him. We will of course improvise a plan, as my Daughter-in-law would herself engineer were she present and able. Dimitri is powerful and dangerous, but like all his kind he has weaknesses that can be exploited."

"But there's not much time to act," Talbain said, "If there's any hope at all for your friend, then you'd better follow me now. I won't slow down for any laggards."

"So who is stopping you?" Perfume asked, "You go, we will follow."

"For what it's worth I hope the lady is all right," Talbain said before added as he vaulting away, "Not too many human girls I know would have the guts to call me Mister Werewolf..."

"Can we trust him?" Ranma asked as the werewolf vanished into the night.

"We have no alternatives," Cologne replied, seeing Nodoka return from a brief jaunt into the house to retrieve his family katana, "And you have a job to do. I believe your mother gave you specific instructions?"

"Uh, yeah...right," Ranma said sheepishly, then vaulted onto the roof of the building and headed for Nabiki's window...

"I'm all right, really, Tofu-Sensei," Nabiki assured him, "I think I'm past the worst of it now...just a little light headed with all these sudden changes."

"I think you should still take it easy for a while," Tofu said with gentle firmness, "It can't be easy for you to have a whole different world from what you're used to experiencing dropped suddenly in your lap..."

"Huh..." Nabiki snorted, "You got that part right. I mean...this isn't a bad sort of dream for me, you know. Everybody's so nice to me, and they seem to actually care about what happens. I'm...not used to this much attention back home...in fact I'm kind of used to being ignored," she paused before adding, "And forgotten about, and treated like part of the woodwork..."

"Surely it can't be all that bad for you," Tofu tried to sound reassuring.

Nabiki sniffed and shook her head, "I'm afraid it's as much my fault as anybody's, Sensei...I never let anyone get too close to me, or give them much reason to like me. I'm used to being by myself most of the time. I have a few friends...well, colleagues if you want the truth. There are a few people who let me hang around with them, but...there's nobody..." she broke off and looked away, thinking of the way Ranma and Shampoo had first gazed upon her with adoring expressions.

"Ailen..."

Nabiki turned to see Shampoo standing by the door looking at her as if uncertain of her position. She gave Tofu a glance chock-full of meaning and the man at once took the hint and said, "Right, no problem at all, then. I'll be just down the stairs if you need me, be sure you don't shake her up any more than you already have, Ms. Tendo."

"Shampoo...I will be mindful, Sensei," Shampoo reassured him, then she came into the room as Tofu packed his things and left. She knelt down beside Nabiki's bed and tried to smile in a reassuring manner, but her eyes were full of all sorts of emotions, which made it that much harder for Nabiki to read her.

"Ms. Tendo?" Nabiki ventured to ask after a very awkward moment.

"Hai," Shampoo replied, showing a ring on her left hand that bore a huge diamond, which made Nabiki's eyes widen like saucers, "Airen's family adopt Shampoo when she come live here as Kaneda-wife. Kaneda is name of husband on...certificate? That is word?"

"A marriage certificate?" Nabiki blinked, "So...in other words the male me goes by the name of Kaneda?"

"Hai," Shampoo smiled all the more deeply, "Shampoo take name of Tendo. Amazons no have family names, so I is Tendo Shampoo, and daughter is Tendo Lylac."

"Um..." Nabiki pursed her lips before asking, "Where is the kid?"

"Lylac sleeping in crib now," Shampoo replied, pausing before adding, "Shampoo very sorry I treat you so bad before when she...when I snatch her out of your hands. I no think you imposter now, even if you very different from my Airen."

"And...it doesn't bother you being married to another woman?" Nabiki asked hesitantly.

Shampoo's smile was all the answer one might have needed, but the Amazon nonetheless added, "You sneaky girl, you very clever, but you no fool Shampoo, think you no like other girls? You more alike Airen that you think. Besides...Kaneda-self more than enough man for Shampoo to be happy."

Nabiki was not used to feeling so exposed or so helpless in front of another person. She felt naked and transparent before this Shampoo, who was lightyears more perceptive than the Shampoo she knew in her own world. The way this one kept giving her THE LOOK...well...it left little doubt that she was wondering herself how much similarity there was between Nabikis. Her counterpart had obviously shared a great deal of herself with this girl, which made it plain that they were close in ways that Nabiki had never dreamed of being with anyone. It made her feel uncomfortable...but in a nice sort of way. It made her want to know so much more about the life her other self shared, so with some delicacy she asked, "What are your feelings about Ranma?"

"Him good man," Shampoo nodded, "He make you very good husband. Shampoo no mind share Airen with boy who fight with heart of Tiger and soul of Dragon."

"The two of you do seem to get along pretty well," Nabiki paused before adding, "I'm not sure if my Ranma would go along with this multiple-marriage thing you've got going. I don't think he'd feel comfortable sharing Akane with someone else, he'd probably think it was unmanly."

"Then more fool him," Shampoo sniffed, "Shampoo no mind sharing Airen because Airen share Ranma with her, and he much man in Shampoo's eyes. Shampoo no even mind sharing with Perfume cousin's Airen. Ucchan very brave warrior, very pretty, and Shampoo see how happy she make Perfume, which makes Shampoo very, very happy."

Nabiki blinked her eyes to that and said, "Guess there's more to this than I thought, huh? Listen...I'm sorry I took the place of your husband...er...wife...ah...?"

Shampoo reached out and took Nabiki's hands in her own, "It no you fault. Shampoo no blame you for accident. Shampoo...overhear you say to Tofu-Sensei that you no have anybody who love you in you world?"

Nabiki uncomfortably flinched under the compassion in tone, expression and gesture the purple haired girl was giving her, and the intimacy of the question caused an unfamiliar pain in her chest as her stomach tightened a little. She wondered if these were more side-effects of the transfer, but suspected otherwise as she replied, "Ah...no...to tell the truth most people are afraid of me..."

"Afraid of you?" Shampoo asked in obvious confusion.

"Of what I might do," Nabiki sighed, "I manipulate people and get them to do what I want. I blackmail them for money and extort from them for favors, I spread rumors, I make bets, I...doublecross some people when I think they're trying to screw me..."

"So?" Shampoo asked, "Airen do all those things. She never hurt anyone who no deserve it, and she make sure everything run fine at High School."

"I run Furinkan High School?" Nabiki blinked, looking to the side, "That would sure surprise some people I know back home..."

"Why you tell Shampoo all this?" the Amazon asked her, "You think maybe you shock Shampoo she no like you?"

"Ah..." Nabiki had the distinctive impression that the Amazon had just seen right through her, and it compounded the discomfort she was feeling. Turning her gaze back towards the luminous reddish-brown eyes of her counterpart's wife she pursed her lips before saying, "I guess maybe I was afraid you wouldn't really like the real me. I've never tried to make myself that likeable...it just wouldn't feel natural for me to act like one of those ultra-cute Burikko girls who always try to make themselves popular with the guys..."

Shampoo's hand brushed gently against Nabiki's cheek as she said, "You no have to. You everything that is dear to Shampoo. What I know I love, what I not know I will love. That is Amazon way, and it is good way for Shampoo. Maybe good if Nabiki no try to be alone so much of time. Maybe you find you like be close to someone who like you."

Nabiki swallowed, now VERY uncomfortable to be in the same room with this version of the Amazon. This Shampoo was just so...nice, and so beautiful it hurt to look on her. Nabiki had always thought the Chinese girl was a fox with an excellent body and a personality so baby-doll like that it made her wonder at times how Ranma could resist her. The fact that this was someone else's wife-HER wife but for the glory of the Kami-was the only thing that kept her from fully enjoying the attention she was receivingg from someone who obviously cared. No one but Kasumi had ever shown such kindness towards Nabiki...no one but Kasumi...or their mother.

But then another question came to mind, and Nabiki had to struggle with herself, to gather her already tattered nerves before asking, "Um...just how much of a marriage is this? I mean...you, me and...Ranma?"

Shampoo's softly adoring expression took on a sensual gleam that made her smile into a leer and her eyes dance with a merriment that was unrestrained and entirely wicked, "Hai, we very, very good in bed together, Airen. At first only Nabiki-Airen and Shampoo share bed, but then Ranma defeat Nabiki a week ago and now he lawful husband to both Shampoo and Nabiki-Airen. Ranma much, much man...he very...what is word for it? Very good in bed...proficient? Yes...especially him master Kamasenken, make him overnight sensation thanks to training he receive with help from Perfume-cousin."

Nabiki's mind began to swim with possibilities best left unmentioned and all of a sudden she wanted nothing so much as a cold shower to restore her nerves. The thought of making love to Shampoo was by itself a startling revelation, but Ranma? That idea nearly caused a "TILT" in her thinking that forced her to re-examine so many long-held assumptions that it was not even funny.

Of course one part of Shampoo's comments did prompt her to ask, "Kamasenken?"

"Yes," Shampoo nodded vigorously, "Ranma is Master of the Senkens...he learn Umisenken and Yamasenken from father, then he create Honasenken, Arashisenken and Kamasenken with help from perverted old master, also learn Kosenken and Morisenken from study with Ryoga and other boy named Ryu."

"In other words he learned or created seven different versions of the same system?" Nabiki blinked, "Um...what exactly is this Thousand Fist school about anyway?"

"It about thinking of body like a house," Shampoo revealed, "Each Senken represent different element, but Kamasenken is about learning ways of pleasuring woman's body. Ranma learn make nice, nice feelings all over wife's body, Airen learn to appreciate Ranma-Airen, just as Shampoo much, much appreciate way Ranma make special love with her own body..."

"W-Whaaat?" Nabiki gaped in disbelief, "Ranma-kun...makes love...to...?" she gulped.

Just then there came a rapping at the window and both women looked up to see the subject of their private girl-talk perched above the ledge there there. He slid the window open and let himself in then said, "Mom wanted me to tell you guys that we're going somewhere right now and we want you guys to look out for any trouble."

"Trouble?" Nabiki knew that word always followed Ranma around like a junkyard puppy.

"What is wrong, Ranma-Airen?" Shampoo asked, "You seem very worried."

"It's about Kasumi," Ranma started to say before slapping himself and saying, "Ah...forget I said that. Look, just lock everything up and don't let anybody in here, especially if they look something like a vampire..."

"Vampire?" Nabiki sat upright, "You've got to be kidding..." then she stopped herself as she saw his expression, considered the long list of surprises that she had already confronted in one day and said, "On second thought...maybe not."

"Vampire?" Shampoo puzzled over the world, then realization dawned on her and she said, "Oh, you mean..." and she used a word that Nabiki knew roughly equated to an Undead creature, "That very bad. If one has Kasumi she in much, much trouble. Shampoo get dressed, come with you."

"Ah-no!" Ranma said a bit too hastily, "It's all right, we've got enough people to handle this. You gotta stay here and look affter Nab-chan and Ucchan and the kid. We can't take the chance that someone else might show up here while the rest of us are away."

"You try treat Shampoo like weak girl again, Airen?" Shampoo stood up and confronted him, making Ranma sweat before she sighed and conceded, "You probably right. Spatula girl in no good shape to fight, and you need Perfume to help you, so I look after Ailen of cousin."

"Ah...excuse me," Nabiki got to her own feet, "I don't mind staying behind, but if it involves Kasumi, then I want to get involved. I don't want anybody to hang back for my sake, but maybe you could tell me what this is all about, Ranma-kun? Who would want to kidnap my sister?"

"Ah, just this guy," Ranma grimaced, "His name's Dimitri something..."

"Dimitri?" Shampoo blinked, "Like name on challenge letter given to Airen?"

"Challenge letter?" Nabiki asked, "You mean the other me received a Challenge Letter from a Vampire?"

"Hey, weirder stuff's happened," Ranma shrugged, turning back towards the window after giving Nabiki another one of those patented looks that seemed to place her welfare near the top of his priority list, "We'll be back with good news as soon as we find Kasumi. See you!"

As he disappeared into the night Nabiki closed her mouth and turned to look at Shampoo, "Let me get this straight...if I were the me that I'm supposed to be, then it would be me leading the charge on this rescue?"

"You always take charge," Shampoo replied matter-of-factly, "It like second nature."

"But the challenge was issued to me," Nabiki said, "What happens if I don't show up and this goon is holding Kasumi to insure that I make it?"

Shampoo shot an alarmed look her way then turned back to the window as if the thought had not occurred to her until Nabiki raised it. Almost as one the two of them replied to the question, "Oh my..."

Tofu was surprised to find everyone gathered out on the back porch looking ready to travel, save for Ukyo, who was standing to one side fuming about something. Since she was the only one not currently doing anything he directed his question towards her, "Ukyo, what's going on?"

"Tofu-Sensei," Ukyo seemed to wage a private war within herself then she replied, "It's about Kasumi, she's been taken hostage."

"K-Kasumi?" Tofu replied, and for once his glasses did not fog up as he pronounced her name. In fact his normally bland expression of geniality grew hard and light glinted off his glasses as he said, "Tell me all about it..."

Comments/Criticisms/Darkstalkers Pest Control: shadowmane

Do things look grim for our dear Kasumi? Will Dimitri make a late-night snack out of our sweet domestic, and what will Nabiki do about it? Can they hold the fort down until rescue comes? Tune in next time when see if, for a fact, that Hell hath no fury like a Kasumi scorned...be there!


	2. Chapter 2

DnabikiTT2

"A Tale of Two Nabikis"

by

Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the Works of Rumiko Takahashi & Others)

Part Two.

"Here it is," Ranma-chan said as she fished the hand mirror out of the koi pond, "Looks like the old goat didn't get his hands on it after all. Now all we gotta do is figure out how to use this to send you back and get back our Nabiki."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea, Ranchan?" Ukyo asked with a wry smirk, "I kind of like this version better than the one we usually have to put up with."

"Maybe we find way of charging greedy mercenary girl for rescue," Shampoo mused, "Be good turn tables around for once and have her owe us."

Nabiki eyed the two who were so much like her best friend and wife rather dubiously before saying, "Surely I'm not that bad to be around, am I?"

"Well," Ranma-chan said, while drying off the mirror, "I'll put it to you like this...if this was the you we're used to dealing with you'd probably have figured out a way to scam us out of some money."

"The Nabiki we know isn't exactly the most altruistic person on the block," Ukyo added.

"You no kidding," Shampoo sniffed, "Shampoo think maybe there somebody pay her to keep breathing, which more than Shampoo could say she do after she sold pictures of Shampoo taking bath to High School."

I-what?" Nabiki reacted with a start.

"You think that's bad?" Ukyo sniffed, "Last week she conned me with a rumor that Ranchan here was joining a religious cult, only later I found out it was really a No Drama contest being waged against some really weird Martial Arts Acting dojo..."

"And then there's the time she almost sold me out to Kodachi..." Ranma-chan further noted before pausing to add, "Of course it turned out just to be another stupid trick by her to get Akane to admit she cared about me..."

"My counterpart did all that?" Nabiki paled.

"If you are quite through with reliving the sordid past of the Tendo Nabiki that we know," said Cologne sarcastically, "Then perhaps we can get down to basics. Now, we have the mirror, which is one half of the problem on our side...unfortunately we will need to somehow obtain the cooperation of someone from this Nabiki's world in order to effect the transfer."

"What?" Ranma-chan said, "I thought you said the mirror alone was the thing we needed to get things back to normal?"

"Calm down, Ranchan," Nabiki said calmly, "This really isn't unexpected. Elder Cologne's right, having the mirror by itself doesn't guarantee me a way back to my world. I need a focus to connect with the reality I know so I can sort it out of all the possible alternate Otherwheres that might exist between this world and mine."

"I guess," Ranma-chan said as he glanced down at the mirror in his hand with a look almost of regret, "Too bad I can't use this right now to take me to Jusenkyo so I can finally be cured..."

"Cured?" Nabiki raised an eyebrow, "Ah...I don't think that would work out too good, Ranchan. I've had a little experience with looking for a cure myself and...well...I don't think Jusenkyo curses work too reliable that way."

"They don't?" Ranma-chan looked stricken.

"I'm not saying you couldn't cure yourself with Nanniichuan water," Nabiki-kun replied, "But I knew a lady who told me that Curses bond to us on a Karmic level and getting rid of one takes a lot more than just dousing yourself in gender-restoring water. In fact, the Cologne of my world outright told me that there had never been a recorded case of anyone being cured of their Jusenkyo curse in the memory of the Amazons, who have lived near to the springs for the last three thousand years..."

"Did I now?" Cologne remarked, eyeing this girl who claimed to be her apprentice where she came from.

"Actually," Nabiki-kun continued, "I do know of one guy who had your curse and got cured of it, but he was a special case, and I don't think it would work with you, Ranchan."

"Why not?" Ranma-chan asked with a hint of desperation.

"Because he's not exactly human," Nabiki replied, "More like some kind of animated Flesh Golem kept alive by a weird alchemy that borders on both magic and science. He said it wore off after a couple of generations of living with his ability to switch genders, only the way it ended is what makes me think it might not apply with you. You see...he told me that Jusenkyo was normally a curse, but that for him it was more like a blessing, and once he achieved a point where he was totally at peace with his other self it no longer seemed that important, and that was when he finally and permanently reverted to normal."

Seeing Ranma's stupefied expression Nabiki just sighed and reached down to dip her hands in the koi pond, cupping them together so that she could splash herself and effect her own change in genders. This had an immediate effect on both Shampoo and Ukyo, who stared in frank amazement as the middle Tendo daughter gained several inches in height and became broad at the shoulders with the hard masculine frame that filled out her Chinese-styled clothes and made her appear more impressive even than the male form of Ranma. She/he was arguably as handsome and with an indefinable quality that caused both Amazon and Okonomiyaki chef to feel a desire to swoon as if gazing on a romantic idol.

"You see?" Nabiki's voice was deeper and more resonant, "This body used to freak me out until I learned how to get by with it, but now I'm used to being Kaneda and it doesn't bother me as much when I switch genders. You think you got it tough turning into a girl? It's a harder thing to lose your womanhood because of a curse, Ranma. Like you I can't bear children...when I switch genders it causes any fetus in me to be spontaneously aborted. I've also got to get used to a different center of balance and an entirely different set of plumbing!"

"But..." Ranma gasped, "It's not the same thing!"

"Oh no?" Nabiki-kun sniffed, "According to what you've told me, when you first faced Shampoo you were a girl, so naturally the Jusenkyo guide warned you about the kiss of death in time to beat a hasty retreat out of there. With me it was different because everyone thought I was a guy. When I defeated Shampoo it was amazing because this girl I'd been fighting comes right up and kisses me! While I'm still dealing with that her villagers all start patting me on the back and saying what a great guy I must be, then they hand me this drink that has something besides alcohol in it, and the next thing I know I wake up in bed with Shampoo beside me. I've got a hangover, I need to potty and I want a good bath something awful, only Pops shows up and tell me that I've got to leave because if they find out I'm really a girl..." she shrugged her shoulders, "Well, what could I say? Even Shampoo told me to leave...I thought she'd never want to see me again...only a month later she shows up in Nerima and tells me that we're married!"

Shampoo gasped, turning to Cologne, "Great-grandmother...is this true?"

"I sense no prevarication on the part of our Ms. Tendo here," Cologne replied, "And what she says sounds plausible, though it is obvious that you were the one who chose to stay married rather than kill her."

Nabiki-kun gave a short laugh and said, "Yeah, you've got that right, Elder. Shampoo said she wanted to be my wife, and what was I gonna say about that? I'd really messed up her life, even if it was unintentional, so I promised I'd do the right thing with her, only a few weeks later..." Nabiki gave a softer laugh and said, "We found out she was pregnant."

There was a sharp intake of breath from Shampoo while Ukyo just stared at the masculine Nabiki-kun in amazement until Ranma-chan broke the silence by saying, "Pregnant? But..."

"We just got Shampoo home from the hospital a few weeks ago," Nabiki-kun said softly, "Three-point-seven-two kilos, a bouncing baby girl that we named Lylac, after her mother. She means everything to me...you don't know what it feels like to hold a baby in your arms, to know it's yours when I thought maybe I'd never myself be a mother..." she had to pause for breath before she could continue, "Of course if I ever lose this curse I won't ever be a father again, so don't tell me you've go it bad, Ranchan. There are worse things to turn into other than a girl. Being a guy's been a lot of trouble for me, you know. I can't seem to go anywhere without attracting the attention of other women. I even get mobbed by my peers every time I appear as a guy at school! What have you got to worry about other than having a few girlfriends?"

"Hey," Ranma-chan said, "Wait a minute, I got guys chasing after me wanting a date, you know, and Akane hits me if I even look at another girl. Sure, Ucchan and Shampoo may be nice, but I've also got Kodachi..."

"Welcome to the club," Nabiki-kun said sardonically, "She was after me for a while there, too, you know...but now she spends more time with Akane, and she's got someone else who's special in her life. There's a lot more to the girl than you realize, Ranchan, and she's had personal problems that make yours seem almost social."

"Wow," Ukyo shook her head, "I can't get over how different you are from our Nabiki. Sometimes I'm not sure she gives a damn about anyone, but the way you talk about Shampoo..."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo agreed with clear reluctance, "Shampoo never think sneaky mercenary girl care about anything but money...not know what do if this Nabiki showed up in village instead of Ranma."

"I too find the contrast most intriguing," Cologne remarked, "But there is a vital need to get our Ms. Tendo back to her world safe and sound, if only because there is a Shampoo there who would genuinely miss her, but not least because it is essential that we restore balance between the dimensions...what is it?" she turned sharply to set her gaze focusing upon Akane, who had just wandered out onto the veranda.

"Are you still here, Ranma?" Akane asked, "Have you forgotten all about your challenge match?"

"Huh?" Ranma-chan reacted then slapped herself and said, "Kami-sama! I forgot all about it! I'm supposed to be at that Karaoke bar in twenty minutes!"

"Karaoke bar?" Nabiki-kun asked, "What's this got to do with a challenge match?"

"It's Martial Arts Karaoke," Ranma-chan replied, "And I'm gonna win it."

"Says the walking ego," Akane sniffed, then frowned when she looked towards Nabiki-kun, "You're still here? I thought you were going to find a way to get my sister back!"

"We are working on that very problem," Cologne replied as she extended a hand towards Ranma, who passed over the Nanban mirror.

"Yeah, but first I gotta go settle this challenge match," Ranma-chan looked nervously at Nabiki-kun, "You understand, right? I just can't forfeit by not showing up."

"No problem," Nabiki shrugged.

"Y'gotta understand that a guy can't just..." Ranma-chan blinked her eyes, "Huh? You do understand how it is?"

"Of course I understand," Nabiki smiled, "I've faced my own challenges back home, and I've never back down from one either...which just reminded me! I've got a challenge match of my own waiting for me back home, and the deadline's midnight!"

"Indeed?" Cologne remarked, "That is very interesting, but I'm afraid we can't rush things on our end without the cooperation of someone from your world. Perhaps we should attend Son-in-law's match to see that it goes smoothly, then we can devote ourselves to rectifying this matter of your time displacement."

"Sure," Nabiki-kun sniffed, "Whatever, but let's get started."

Ukyo and Shampoo shared another one of those uncomfortable moments where an exchange of looks spoke volumes. Each one was taking notice of the fact that this Nabiki sounded and acted a lot like their Ranma. She might be more thoughtful in her actions, but there was still the mandate for action, the same reckless bravery and impulse to do something rather than just stand on the sidelines offering snide and often sarcastic commentary. It was more than a little bit disturbing and it made them begin to seriously wonder if maybe their counterparts in the other frame did not have the more desirable arrangement...

"That arrogant, pig-headed...OOOhhh!" Ukyo growled as she paced back and forth in the dining room area, expressing her frustration, "Just who does she think she is telling me that I need to be watched like some kid in need of a baby-sitter!"

"She woman who love you very much," Shampoo replied, giving Nabiki a wry look as she added, "Shampoo think she hear echo somewhere. Could swear she hear very same words not long time ago, or maybe Shampoo not so good remember."

Nabiki could not stifle a laugh at the look Ukyo gave Shampoo. In spite of her worries about Kasumi the antics of both Amazon and Okonomiyaki chef were like some comic soap opera in which a female drama troop had assumed all the roles normally assigned to both men and women. There was obviously a great deal of deep affection here, but mixed in with it was a healthy respect and grudging tolerance for the complex relationship that they had with their respective mates and each other.

The Ukyo and Shampoo she knew were often like a pair of snarling cats ready to break out in a hissing contest at any minute. Their jealous rivalry over Ranma and overall competitiveness as warriors from two different sets of traditions often put them at odds when they might in most other respects have a great deal in common. Nabiki was struck by the way this Ukyo seemed less shy about displaying her feminine side and was not the aloof Tomboy to which she was accustomed. Shampoo in no way acted like an airheaded bimbo and seemed palpably quite savvy in spite of her awkward use of the language. It made her curiosity greater than ever about the mysterious fifth element in their complex marriage arrangement which is what prompted her to ask, "Tell me a little something about this Perfume character...do you love her?"

Nabiki had intended the bluntness of her question to have shock value, but to her surprise she saw Ukyo only smile lopsidedly before saying, "Well...yeah...of course I love her. I mean, you think I'd let just any girl do this to me?" she patted her abdomen, which bulged only slightly but was not the washboard smooth stomach of the Ukyo that Nabiki remembered.

"How did this happen?" Nabiki asked, "I heard the Reader's digest version of how you two met, but..."

"How did I wind up married to that Tom-cat?" Ukyo sniffed, "Believe it or not it happened while I was saving your butt...I mean our Nabiki. Perfume's the tribal Enforcer of the Amazons, and Cologne sent her after Nab-chan, and if you've ever seen Perfume in action..." she shook her head and sighed, "She's pretty amazing. You were on the ropes and running for cover one minute after you met her. She'd almost cornered you in the school locker rooms when I managed to get the drop on her and knocked her into the showers."

"And because she has a Jusenkyo curse that took the fight out of her, eh?" Nabiki remarked, "So it was really a technical victory, not an actual challenge match. So why did she decide to marry rather than kill you? Your boyish good looks had her fooled?"

Shampoo sniffed, "Hardly. Cousin best tracker in village, have nose so sharp she smell flower in thunderstorm. She know Ukyo is woman moment she stand downwind, but Cousin no mind that Ukyo is female. She like Spatula girl because she Ucchan."

Ukyo made a face at that but smiled anyway, "Perfume doesn't have much interest in men. She's not a true lesbian, mind you, but...she has this little problem that makes her wary of getting pregnant. I guess that's why she thinks she gets to wear the pants in our family, even if she does take this Protective nonsense a little farther than she has to."

"She love you very much," Shampoo replied, "She no want you hurt, just as Airen no want Shampoo come with you when you face renegade cousin."

"You said she was the Tribal Enforcer," Nabiki frowned, "Does that mean she's Cologne's resident hit-woman?"

"More like their one-woman demolition squad, law enforcement division and executioner of the will of the Council of Elders," Ukyo replied, "She's a killing machine, Cologne's own hand-picked protégé, highly trained and methodical, but with me she's like this big cuddly pussy cat I can take on my lap and..." Ukyo grinned lasciviously, "The rest ain't nobody else's business, Sugar. Let's just say Per-chan and me...we make each other happy."

Nabiki was frankly amazed by such honesty in this world's version of Kuonji Ukyo. The woman she knew was uncertain about her own femininity and insecure about expressing her feelings on any other subject than her wholehearted devotion towards Ranma. In a lot of ways the Ukyo she knew behaved so much like a boy that she seemed almost guy-like in her behavior. Though this Ukyo had a definite masculine side it seemed well balanced with her femininity, and on the whole she did seem genuinely quite happy.

She was about to ask about that difference when a voice called out from the back porch, "Hello, is anyone here?"

"Over here," Ukyo called out, "Is that you, Beiko?"

"Beiko?" Nabiki repeated.

"You always call her Beatrice," Shampoo stage-whispered, "Is name she prefers over nick-name."

Nabiki turned to see a pair of total strangers coming around from behind the house to greet them warmly as though they were well-remembered houseguests. One of these was a statuesque girl with long silver-blue hair and a stunningly beautiful profile, and standing next to her was a tall redhead who moved with a powerful gait like a trained martial artist. The redhead made a teasing comment towards Ukyo about her figure but the blonde just smiled at Nabiki and said, "You wanted some technical advice about parallel dimensions?"

"Um...yeah," Nabiki replied, "Beatrice?"

"Who tell you have problem?" Shampoo asked in an entirely friendly manner.

"Your older sister, Kasumi," the blonde replied, "She called us at our apartment and said you needed some technical assistance. Is she around? I was expecting her to greet us."

"Ah," Nabiki hesitated, "Kasumi...is in some trouble and the others have gone to find her..."

"So?" the redhead asked, "Why are you waiting here? I'd think you'd be tearing across town looking for your older sister."

"There's a problem about that, Sugar," Ukyo replied, "Nab-chan here ain't exactly herself at the moment."

"Indeed?" the one named Beatrice inquired with a lifted eyebrow, "In what way?"

"She means I'm not who you think I am," Nabiki replied, "I'm Tendo Nabiki from another world where I never went on any training mission with Uncle Genma. I don't practice martial arts, I only know a little self-defense, and the only time I work out is so I can keep my girlish figure."

"You're putting us on," the redhead chuckled, then noticed no one was joining, to which she added a hopeful, "Right?"

"Afraid not, Sugar," Ukyo said, "Somehow our Nab-chan got exchanged with this one. She says her history is totally different from ours and that she's not the one who goes charging off into battle at the head of our little Posse..."

"Our what?" Nabiki asked.

"The Tendo Posse," Beatrice replied, "A quaint if descriptive term for your close-knit family unit, of which you are the nominative head. You say you have no memory of this and that your experiences differ radically from that of our good friend, Kaneda?"

"Wait a second," the redhead said, "Are you saying you are or you're not Tendo Nabiki?"

The blonde smiled, "Please excuse Alison, she has a difficult time grasping the concept of the multiple layering of reality, even though we've had some of our own experiences in regards to such phenomenon. I observe that you do seem to be a different sort of person than my good friend, you don't seem as brash, nor do you carry yourself with the same confidence in your bearing. I also fail to see your trademark warrior braid, which you have always worn down the back of your neck..."

"Huh?" Nabiki reflexively put her hand up to the nape of her neck and frowned, "There's supposed to be something there?"

"Hey, you're right," Ukyo said, "I didn't really notice."

"Shampoo see you no wear Dragon Whisker in pig tail," Shampoo replied, "But I no think about that. You also no wear Chinese clothing..."

Nabiki's mouth fell open as she looked at them and said, "My counterpart drank the same stuff that caused Ranma's hair to grow out of control? And what do you mean Chinese clothing?"

"Well Duh," said the one named Alison, "Like you want to be caught wearing a dress in your guy form?"

"I believe a more pertinent question should be regarding the means by which you and your counterpart effected this transference," Beatrice remarked, "If you could tell me something about that I might be able to help you."

"It was Nanban mirror," Shampoo said, "Evil pervert master have ancient Amazon treasure in his possession, and that was thing which change my Airen with this Nabiki."

"I see," Beatrice played with one of the silver bangs that framed her exquisite features, "A magical artifact that can effect the flow of time and space. Do you still have it with you?"

"Ah..." Nabiki exchanged looks with her companions, "Not really."

"Smooth," sniffed the one named Alison, "Leave a powerful device laying around where anyone can find it why don't you."

"Maybe it's still in the koi pond where Nab-chan dropped it," Ukyo suggested, heading for the back porch, "I think I know where that is."

Moments later they all gathered around outside while Ukyo stared at the place where a long-handled net was laying and said, "That's funny, this is normally kept by the side of the house. It looks like somebody just dropped it."

"Hmm," Beatrice moved closer and kneeled down, "No visible signs of a struggle, yet there is a slight scuffling in the rocks, and those footprints are definitely consistent with Tendo Kasumi's...but what of these other marks? Rather large footprints, yet not very heavily indented. And these other ones look as if they were made by an animal or very large canine...yet one that walks two legged..."

"That guy who grabbed Kasumi," Nabiki suddenly put it all together, "That's gotta be the spot where she was standing when that Vampire guy grabbed her."

"Vampire?" Alison said, "You're saying there's a Vampire involved in all this?"

"This very bad," Beatrice murmured, "I would surmise that your sister-being the thoughtful sort that we know her to be-was in the process of retrieving the artifact when she was surprised and carried away. You will note an absence of matching footprints coming and going from this spot? Vampires are said to possess the power of levitation, and this one is obviously typical of that breed."

"Then Vampire have Kasumi-chan?" Shampoo reacted, "Aiyaa! That very bad indeed!"

"It does not necessarily imply that Kasumi found the mirror before she was kidnapped," Beatrice remarked, "But that is one possible explanation. Alison, put your hand into the pond and see if you can find anything."

"Why me?" Alison replied, then shrugged, "All right, I'll do it..."

The redhead rolled up one sleeve and knelt down to thrust her hand into the water, and a moment later she pulled it out again clutching one of the koi, which kicked and struggled.

"As I thought," Beatrice nodded, "Put it back, Alison. Either Kasumi or this Vampire has possession of the mirror."

"How can you be so sure of that?" Ukyo asked.

"Law of probabilities," Beatrice smiled as she straightened out, "Alison has divine blood in her veins, and that always skews the odds in her favor. The probability was one in seventeen thousand, four hundred thirty two that she would find the mirror on the first try, so naturally if it was there it would have happened."

"Oh," Nabiki replied to that, deciding not to ask any questions about that "divine blood" remark as there was something about the redhead that reminded her a lot of the cursed form of Ranma.

"There is no time to lose," Beatrice said, "We must find your sister and the artifact with all due haste. There is no telling what might happen the longer you and your counterpart are removed from your proper timelines. Such an exchange creates an inherent imbalance in the dimensional currents and there are bound to be side-effects of a random, almost unpredictable nature."

"Almost unpredictable?" Ukyo asked.

"This is Nerima," Beatrice replied, "Anywhere else it would be just bad, here it could be downright catastrophic."

"Well, there's just one problem," Nabiki said, "We don't know where the others went, but there was this Talbain guy who seemed to know...didn't catch any directions from him, though, but I guess it was someplace that might appeal to a vampire."

"Like a cemetery?" Beatrice smiled, "One does not have to specialize in the occult arts to make such a connection. That is the first place I would look when pursuing the undead, but just in case Alison will lead the way."

"Why me?" Alison frowned, then sniffed and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, divine blood...right."

"Look at the bright side, Sugar," Ukyo smiled, "At least you're more reliable than a certain guy named Hibiki."

"That reminds me," Nabiki said, "Where is Ryoga? We could sure use his help right about now."

"Him at Kuno mansion," Shampoo smiled in a particularly winsome manner, "Serving Sushi to Akane, Red and stupid Rose girl..."

"Now just hold still, Ryoga-kun," purred Kuno Kodachi, "This won't hurt a bit...at least not us."

Ryoga winced beneath his blindfold as the nominal Black Rose brought her chopsticks closer to his bare skin, carefully plucking the morsel of raw fish off his body as he lay upon the floor like a human food cart. Keiko and Akane were wearing matching grins of amusement as they watched Kodachi lift the morsel to her lips and made a full production out of chewing it in sensual arousal.

"Your turn, Keiko-darling," Kodachi smiled as she turned to the redheaded Kickboxer.

"I'd rather eat off you any day," Keiko informed her raven haired life-partner, bringing her own chopsticks near to Ryoga's loins and making a point to gently stroke along his thigh, which caused an immediate stiffening of a flag pole that had been tilting at half-mast. Keiko turned a lustful grin towards Akane, whose big eyed-stare showed how much she was appreciating Ryoga's state of arousal.

The phone rang before her turn arrived, however, so Akane just groaned in frustration and said, "It never fails...!"

"I'll get it, Akane-chan," Kodachi said as she smoothly rose to her bare feet and padded across the floor to where the phone was cradled. Posing her nude body for maximum sensualistic effect she turned a coy look over her shoulder towards her two friends and the blindfolded Ryoga as she unfolded the cell phone and said, "Kuno residence, may I help you?"

Normally it would have been Sasuke or another servant who answered the phone for her, but Kodachi had given the help the day off, and her brother was out on another date with Natsume, so they pretty much had the place all to themselves, which was why the idea for the game of "Sushi" had been proposed between the three friends and hapless Ryoga. They were like naughty teenagers when their parents were out of town, and they meant to take full advantage of the complete lack of adult supervision, which was why a phone call of distress was so unexpected by Kodachi, who listened to Ukyo's hasty explanation then said, "What...you are sure of this?"

"What is it?" Akane asked, sensing the mood-shift of her friend with combat reflexes that had been honed over many months of continuous crisis.

"We'll be there right away," Kodachi said as she hung up the phone then said, "There's been a problem...your sister, Kasumi, has been taken."

"Taken?" Keiko reacted, "Who would want to take Kasumi anywhere, other than Tofu-sensei?"

"Some manner of fiend who intends her no good will," Kodachi was already headed for the stairs, "I suggest we dress ourselves at once, my friends. They will need every warrior that they can marshal to save the fair Kasumi from whatever menace with which she is faced."

"Kasumi needs our help?" Ryoga sat upright, heedless of the food he spilled as he plucked off his blindfold, "Then I'm coming with you-"

"No, Ryoga-kun!" Keiko tried to warn him, only to have the lost boy's eyes go very wide as he caught sight of his three lovely (if naked) companions, which prompted him to faint away with his nose bleeding all over his bare chest.

Akane sighed, "Oh, Ryoga-kun..." she hastily got to her feet and went in search of something to wear as she prepared to go to the aid of her beloved older sister...

"I trust that you are comfortable?"

Kasumi opened her eyes, finding herself sitting in a chair inside a room that looked uncomfortably like a converted mausoleum. The only light in the room was provided by several scores of candles, and the only other figure in the room-the one who had spoken-was that strange, tall man with the burning eyes who had surprised her in her garden.

"Oh my," Kasumi said, then felt along the sides of her neck as if expecting to find hickeys.

"You need not worry...yet," the towering figure remarked, "I have not harmed you. I merely wish to gaze upon your beauty while we wait for your friends to join our little party. Such fine looks you have, my dear. A pity that mortal looks fade so soon...beauty such are yours should endure forever."

Kasumi was confused regarding the man's intentions. On the one hand he did present a very fearsome countenance, having sharp, angular features with a head that seemed pointed at the top, an impression added to by his swept-back hairstyle and his generally massive frame which made the perspective of looking up at him distort his proportions.

He was a well-dressed gentleman, even if the style of his dress was centuries behind current fashion, and the cape made him look even more distinctive in an aristocratic manner. He looked as if he had stepped out of the pages of history, a ghost of the European past, quite out of place in a Japanese setting, and his accent was heavily laced with a strongly Slavic flavor.

"Um, excuse me," Kasumi ventured politely, "I don't believe we've been introduced. My name is Tendo Kasumi, and you are?"

"Dimitri Maximoff," he bowed to her in a regal manner, "At your service."

Kasumi smiled and said, "You seem like a nice enough gentleman. Was there some reason I came with you? I don't quite remember leaving my house..."

Dimitri looked at the fair flower of Japanese youth before him and wondered at the calming aura she seemed to radiate with her presence. He had been prepared for almost any reaction, hysteria, a crying jag, even screams of piteous grief and horror, emotions he well understood in his victims and had come to expect as his rightful due. This girl was manifesting none of these traits and he began to wonder if she had any real grasp of the situation. She seemed cerebrally alert enough to dismiss the possibility that she was mentally defective.

"You do not remember because I wish it so," Dimitri replied, "As for your presence in this place, it is to keep me company while we await the inevitable arrival of your sister..."

"Oh," the girl said simply, "Will Nabiki be having dinner with us? This seems an odd place for it, not that I'm intending to be critical..."

Now Dimitri was beginning to suspect that this girl was having a jest at his expense. It made him frown crossly as he replied, "The 'dinner,' as you so put it, will be on the house, compliments of you ladies."

"Oh," Kasumi looked down at herself, finding heavy ropes that were binding her to the chair, to which she looked puzzled and said, "How can I make dinner for you when I can't get up? I do hope you're not expecting Nabiki to cook for you. She's not as bad as our little sister, but I'm afraid she's no gourmet..."

Dimitri was suddenly leaning over her with his face only inches from her own as he growled, "Are you trying to be funny?"

Kasumi blinked then replied, "Why, no...I'm afraid I'm not very good at making jokes..."

Dimitri looked hard into the girl's innocent brown eyes, seeing no hint of deception, no trace of ridicule or implied cynicism. She was sincere in every way, which puzzled him enormously. Dimitri had known many sinners, quite a number of people of virtue, but never anyone so lacking in guile as to challenge his deeply held belief that everyone everywhere had dark shadows to their nature.

"I see," he replied, straightening up, "Then I apologize for suspecting you of ill will. You need not fear for the present, I shall be a gracious host and allow you some moments to compose yourself before the fun truly beings."

"Oh my," Kasumi said, "Are we having a party?"

"In a sense you could say that," Dimitri smiled, "A party that will flow with lakes of crimson. I relish the coming battle as a kind of celebration. Your sister is said to be very skilled, and I always have enjoyed testing myself against the strongest foes, the better to absorb their strength and add it to my own considerable prowess."

"You mean you're the one who sent my sister the Challenge note?" Kasumi asked, "But why?"

"As I said, for the glory of battle!" Dimitri grinned, exposing his fangs as he waved a fist under the nose of the helpless girl, who just looked at it curiously, then at him without the sort of timid fear he would have expected of someone in her position.

"Oh," she said, "Then you're a Martial Artist. Are you a good one?"

"Eh?" Dimitri was puzzled by her attitude, "I am the best of all my kind."

"That's very nice," Kasumi replied, "Nabiki needs to test herself against strong opponents. It's how she improves herself as a Martial Artist. I'm sure you'll give her a very good fight...oh my! I'm so sorry...I forgot all about it."

"Forgot what?" Dimitri asked, now totally confused by the girl's matter-of-fact complacence,

"About Nabiki," Kasumi said, "It slipped my mind...I'm so silly! I should have remembered that Nabiki isn't quite herself at the moment. She's been transferred with a counterpart who doesn't know how to fight as good. I'm very sorry about that, I know how much Imotochan looks forward to meeting people like you. This is all so very inconvenient..."

"What are you babbling about, woman?" Dimitri asked, staring once again into those guiless eyes that seemed incapable of dissembly, "Talk sense!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, am I not making sense to you?" Kasumi replied, "I really don't blame you for being confused, it is such a confusing matter. One minute Nabiki is the little sister that I dearly... um...cherish, and the next she's quite a different person who doesn't have a curse and doesn't know how to fight..."

"Are you trying to protect her?" Dimitri asked, "Because if you are lying..."

"Lying?" Kasumi looked even more puzzled than before, "Why would I be lying to you? I know it may sound difficult to believe, but my little sister has exchanged places with another version of herself, less able to give you the sort of fight you were hoping for. I'm very sorry about that and we are trying to fix the problem, but..."

"Eh?" Dimitri straightened up and glanced over his shoulder, "One moment, my dear...it seems that company has arrived, though not the sort I was hoping for. Oh well...even Princes cannot be choosers. Wait here and I will go attend to this trifling matter."

"Um..." Kasumi glanced down at herself, "I don't suppose I have any choice about that..."

"No, you do not," Dimitri smiled, "On the other hand there may be a way you could be of use to me after all," and he exposed his fangs, relishing the thought of exactly how he intended to so use her...

"Well, here we are," said Ranma-chan as she and the others entered the restaurant, "Not too late for a Karaoke match. So...where's the competition?"

"I have a better question," Nabiki-kun said as she glanced around to the interior, "Where are the patrons?"

"Hey, you're right," Ukyo remarked, "This place should be doing lots of business. It's not even that far after eight."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo shivered, "Shampoo have bad feeling about this. No think this ordinary restaurant."

"So somebody rented the place out," Akane shrugged, "It's not that unusual for a Challenge Match."

"Interesting," Cologne remarked, "I sense a presence nearby, one with a very powerful aura."

"So where is he?" Ranma-chan looked around, ignoring the previous questions, "If he's so tough then he ought to have the guts to show himself by now."

"Hmm," Nabiki-kun frowned, "I wonder...does this feel to you guys like a good place to stage an ambush?"

Ukyo and Shampoo exchanged glances then deliberately separated to take flanking positions safeguarding Ranma. Akane saw this and frowned, then angrily stalked to the center of the room, as much to keep and eye on the two of them as to look out for any possible danger. Nabiki-kun wandered out into an open area and tried to act casual while Ranma-chan walked up to the stage where he found one of a pair of microphones waiting. Cologne, on the other hand, held back and kept her eyes upon the shadows.

"Ambush," Ranma-chan sniffed, "So where is he?"

+You've Come,+ came an eire voice from somewhere off stage, +Now I am here also. Shall we get started?+

From the very shadows where Cologne had been gazing appeared the strangely ethereal shape of a woman, a woman whose face was obscured and whose body was illuminated by no certain light source. She had long hair and was very pale yet two eyes that gleamed like marbles appeared from beneath that silky mane to regard Ranma-chan with a look of speculation.

"What the...?" Akane murmured softly, while Ukyo and Shampoo now had their trademark weapons in hand and seemed ready for action. Nabiki's eyes just narrowed a little.

"Who are you?" Ranma-chan asked.

+My name is not important,+ the girl said as she made a dramatic hand gesture, and suddenly it was filled by one of the mikes, +I have challenged Saotome Ranma of the Anything Goes Ryu to meet me in a battle of Karaoke. Are you him?+

"Yeah, I'm Saotome Ranma," Ranma-chan said as she hooked a thumb in her own direction, walking up to the podium to take the other microphone from its stand, "Don't let this body fool you, I'm really a guy. On behalf of the Saotome Ryu I accept your challenge."

+So be it,+ the figure replied, raising her microphone, +The challenge is accepted, now all that remains is my victory.+

"Mighty confident, ain'tcha?" Ranma-chan snorted, "We gonna do this or what?"

+As you wish,+ the figure replied, raising the microphone to her mouth as background music filtered in from seeming no where. The woman began to sing a popular ditty that was common with idol singers and fans alike, and her voice was unearthly and melodic, conveying emotional tones that held deep emotional vibrancy for those who listened:

*+Don't you know that I am a pioneer in search of a great adventure

I travel the Galaxy and far beyond...+*

All at once a rollicking soundtrack filled the air as lights came on from all around them, spotlighting the stage as the figure did a sweeping ballad that held much gaiety and hopeful promise. It was sung with a warbling trill that gave one a desire to sing along and clap in chorus, and yet there was a hint of sadness in the tune as if the singer was forlorn in her desire to actually share in the joy of her music.

When she was done she turned to Ranma and said, +Now you attempt to match that.+

"Huh," Ranma-chan scoffed, lifting her microphone, "No problem...

"Ooooh Angel-Come face the dawn, it's a brand new day!

Oooooh Angel-Come meet the challenge that fires your soul..."

A strange musical accompaniment flared up while Ranma-chan continued her song to its conclusion. An appreciative audience of her fans applauded when she finished her tune and Ranma-chan bowed to them, then turned a brash look at her opponent and said, "What do you think of that, lady?"

*+These are but the preliminaries,+ the figure said with an odd look of calculation, +I wanted to sound you out, and now that I have done so we begin the real competition.+*

Nabiki frowned and murmured softly to the others, "There's something I'm not getting here...is this supposed to be a Karaoke contest or a martial arts competition?"

The figure turned as if it had heard her speak and smiled, *+It is both,+* then immediately launched into a fresh new melody, only now the figure danced to the tune that followed:

*+You said you'd never love again-caught yourself believing!

Too many times in the past when you'd open up your heart

You'd have it broken in pieces by too many lies!

But you've to got watch where your standing-when you look in her eyes!

Over and over the-sparks flash, lights seem to fade,

Over and over, like fools we are caught in the game!

Caught in the game, caught in the game again-!+*

"Hey," Ukyo remarked, "I recognize that, it's a song by that old American group, Survivor..."

"Feh," Ranma-chan said confidently, "I know one by those guys. This contest is as good as won already...

"Into the night, two of a kind

We rode the crest of the wave, are we destined to leave love behind?

I'll pay the price-just tell me the cost!

To save something here in our hearts that cannot be lost!

And I can't help but wonder out loud

If only we could go back to square one,

If finally we could pinpoint where we lost touch,

I stand alone reaching out my hands to you-

Oceans between us-strangers upon the shore,

Like Islands we stand alone,

Oceans between us now..."

This time the applause was more enthusiastic from Ranma's cheering section as each girl fantasized herself as the one being sung to. Nabiki, however, was still frowning, realizing that there was something very strange about the way the other girl was singing her part, and where was the background music coming from? Did she have an accomplice who was keying in these melodies from a backstage sound machine? And what was it about her individual choices that struck Nabiki as being odd from the standpoint of a music competition?

His opponent, meanwhile, was preparing herself for her next song, and when it came the unearthly quality of her voice became more prominent than ever:

*+And I would do anything for love-I'd run right into Hell and back!

I would do anything for love-I'd never lie to you and that's a fact...

But I'll never forget the way I feel about you right now-

Oh no...no way!

I would do anything for love, I would do anything for love,

I would do anything for love, but I won't do that,

Oh no-I won't do...

I would do anything for love,

Anything that you've been dreaming of,

But I won't do that-!+*

This time her dance-like maneuvers were more energetic, but mid-way through her song she began to circle about Ranma-chan without coming near enough to actually mount an attack against her. Ranma-chan was puzzled by this behavior, but as it did not take an overtly hostile overtone she decided to ignore it...until the time came to mount her own counter-tune, at which point she discovered that she had difficulty using her voice, let alone to use it for singing.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Ukyo grabbed her spatula and looked ready to use it, "What did she do to Ranchan?"

"It's like she stole her voice," Akane said as she clenched her fists and looked ready to attack the other singer.

"Hiyaa!" Shampoo brandished her bonbori, "She cheat Airen with foul magic! Shampoo make stupid ghost-girl release Airen!"

Ukyo and Akane turned to look at Shampoo with matching surprised expressions as they chorused, "Ghost-girl?"

"Shampoo is right," Cologne said sharply, "This girl is not a human being. The power I sensed before comes from her ethereal nature!"

*+This knowledge comes too late,+* the phantom singer remarked with an inhuman smile as she made strange weaving motions with her fingers and seemed to be calling a power about herself as Ukyo and the others chose that moment to attack her. From the tips of her fingers streamers of energy radiated out, taking the form of musical bars as one might see them written out on sheet music. These bars struck like a physical ribbon and entangled them between the notes and hyphens.

Ukyo, Akane and Shampoo were all caught fast in the web of ethereal construction, but one managed to avoid entanglement by not being where expected. The ghostly girl did not notice this, however, and turned to Ranma-chan to say, *+Now, since your friends cannot help you, and as you are unable to save yourself by singing the counter-ballad...+*

"Uh uh!" Nabiki-kun called from one end of the room, holding up the microphone that had previously been in Ranma-chan's hand, "Ranchan may be tongue-tied, but the same doesn't hold for me:

"You can't run away forever-

but there's nothing wrong with getting a good head start,

You want to shut down the night.

You want to shut down the sun,

You want to shut away the pieces of a broken heart.

"Think of what we had together,

We'd be listening to the radio so loud and so strong.

Every golden nugget falling like a gift of the gods

Someone must have blessed us when they gave us those songs...

"I treasure your love-I never want to lose it!

For you've been through the fires of Hell,

And I know you've got the ashes to prove it!

I treasure your love-I want to show you how to use it!

For you've been through the pain and despair,

And I know you've got the scars to prove it!

"Remember every word that I tell you,

Because I'll telling you again that it's true

You're alone and afraid and you're completely amazed

To find there's nothing anybody can do-

But keep on believing and you'll discover baby-

"There's always something magic, there's always something new.

And when you really need it the most that's when rock and roll dreams

Come true...

The beat is yours forever-the beat is always true,

And when you really need it the most that's when rock and roll dreams

Come true...for you!"

While he sang this he darted and wove about the room to avoid the attempts by the ethereal girl to ensnare him like the others, being careful to mark a precise pattern that proved to be the opposite to what the girl had used when encircling Ranma, and-sure enough-when he had completed his song Ranma-chan found her vocal chords unfrozen. Nabiki-kun was quick to pass the microphone to her and Ranma smiled, turning to her foewoman and said, "Now it's my turn:

"You can touch me in dreams but they won't stay-

Tonight you don't have much to say!

How can I face the light of day-What have you done now?

Things are freely unspoken, thinking it's for the best,

Then I look into your heart, it gets tight in my chest!

"Hear the whisper of dreams as they go by-

I'm late and things don't wait for me!

Sayonara whispers in the breeze-you'll get in trouble!

Let me look into your heart, that's a good place to start,

All I need is a small sign then I give my heart to you-

"You and me we still got so much we mean to say-

But it's not enough-why don't we seize the day?

Doncha know I got no Idea from this point on-

So how far we go until we both are free-you and me!"

The ethereal girl made a ghastly sound and snarled at Ranma, making a sweeping gesture with both hands that suddenly caused the microphone to coil like a snake around Ranma's arms. Another chord reached out to ensnare Nabiki-kun, paralyzing and cutting off his windpipe.

Of course the creature-for such she now little resembled a human girl-had not taken Cologne into account, which proved a mistake as the Matriarch of the Joketsuzoku now chose her moment to enter into the frey, her staff flashing about to disrupt the strands of pseudo-music score, thus freeing Ranma's fiancée brigade, then did the same thing to the binding chords to liberate Ranma-chan and Nabiki-kun. They sprang to encircle the creature with the other three girls taking positions at key cardinal defense points.

"Give it up, lady!" Ranma-chan said, "You made your play and you lost!"

+Have I now?+ the creature asked in its weird, trilling voice, then it opened its mouth wide, exposing rows of shark-like teeth and emitted a sound that caused everyone to cover their ears as waves of psychic force radiated out in all directions.

But something cut across the air, blanketing the area in a cone of silence that spared them all from severe neural damage. A microphone picked itself off the floor in the ensuing silence and floated across the chamber until a slender hand caught it as a girlish figure stepped out into the open.

"You've overplayed your hand," this new figure began, "Now it's my turn to balance the scales."

And with that this girl, who looked no older than Ranma-chan herself, spoke into the mike and began singing with unearthly sweetness:

"Ohhhh-Angel! Come face the dawn, it's a brand new day-

Ohhhh-Angel! Let free the passion that lies in your soul...

Each day I get by without you becomes my victory!

Each night I fight against the light, it is my destiny!

But you know that having might don't mean you're right,

I can't be both cruel and kind!

When nothing works out I look up to the clouds in the sky...

They don't answer, but I still ask why-!"

This time it was the creature's turn to scream and clutch at her head as she doubled over in agony, and to this the new girl just eyed her coolly and said, "Larva, do it quickly."

A second figure appeared, one draped entirely in a cloak that obscured its form from discovery, and whose face was sealed away behind a kabuki-like mask, removed itself from the shadows and extended long, slender tapering hands to perform a series of ritualized motions. The Idol singer screamed once again as she fell to her knees, arching her back as she clenched at her head with both hands...and suddenly a snake-like apparition appeared, flowing up out of her body and hovering in the air like a demon-serpent released from sulfurous pits and revealed in all its malevolent manifestation.

The masked figure made another gesture and suddenly there were partitions that sprang up out of no-where to contain the creature. With a few quick gestures the masked form caused kanji symbols to appear on the sides of the box that now held the demon in place. These flared to full life as the box began to shrink in on itself until it was very small indeed, then it winked out altogether from existence.

Everyone turned to regard the newcomers, Ranma being the first to ask, "Who the heck are you, lady?"

The girl who had come to their aide merely smiled and gave a girlish laugh, then assumed a very kawaii pose as she stood on tip-toes and regarded them with an odd merriment that belied her grim purpose of a moment past.

"My name is Miyu," she replied, "And you are the great Saotome Ranma of whom I have heard such fearsome legends?"

"Miyu?" Akane blinked her eyes, "Hey, I know you! I've seen you around school. You're that transfer student from Kyoto..."

"Among other places," the young-seeming girl replied, "Actually that was only a cover guise. I've been stalking out the Shinma you just fought for some weeks now, waiting for it to make its move, and now with your help I've been able to catch and contain it."

"Where did you sent it?" Nabiki-kun asked, eyeing the girl with perceptive eyes that detected more about her than was mete on the surface.

"To the dark realms of the Shinma," she replied, "Those spiritual beings who are both God and Demon. That is what I do, hunt Shinma, and Larva here is my boon companion. He is Shinma himself but loyal to me. The Shinma feed on the innocent and unsuspecting, and it was her purpose to lure you here that she might entrap and feast upon you, but instead you put up a good fight and balked it long enough to give Larva and myself the time we needed."

"Interesting," Cologne remarked, "You hunt Shinma, yet you yourself are not truly human."

"That is correct, Elder of the Nyanichiczu," Miyu smiled, "But as you are no stranger to such things I think that I may entrust you with my secret. That was a very clever strategy, by the way. Tell me...how did you know that the key to untangling the Shinma's enchantment was to use songs keyed on the same level that would untangle their melodic enfoldment?"

"Ah, it was just a hunch," Ranma-chan replied, "I figured this was some kind of singing match, so I thought singing a similar Idol song by the same group was a good way to prove that I was the better singer."

"More than that, Ranchan," Nabiki-kun said, "Each song had a special numeric code imbedded in the melody that I picked up on when I noticed that she was accenting certain notes, and from that I deduced that singing the next song the opposite way would have the effect of reversing their order."

"Huh?" Ranma-chan blinked, then added dubiously, "Ah...yeah, whatever."

"Not too bad, Oneechan," Akane smiled, then blinked and belatedly corrected herself, "I mean...Oniisan..."

"Wow," Ukyo remarked, "Nabiki's an even more savvy a tactician that Ranma. Who woulda figured?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo agreed with a huge smile, "See now why other self find him so attractive! This Nabiki much, much more man than any man she ever meet before, except maybe Ranma."

"Hey!" Ranma-chan flared before she had a moment to think about her outburst.

"Oh, don't be so petty and jealous, Ranma," Akane snorted at him, "If they want to make fools of themselves by fawning over my sister, let them..." she paused a moment as if just realizing what she was saying and growled, "Hey!"

"Oh, go easy on him, Imotochan," Nabiki-kun remarked, "Ranchan's entitled to a few idiosyncrasies with all the stress he's under having three beautiful fiancées competing for his attention. I go through the same thing myself all the time, even if my co-mates are all resolved to sharing one great big happy family unit."

"That ain't exactly helping," Ranma-chan murmured at the level of a stage whisper.

"Shouldn't we, uh, save this for when we're alone, guys?" Ukyo eyed the strange girl named Miyu and her somber companion, "Doesn't exactly say a lot for us to air our dirty laundry in front of total strangers."

Miyu interrupted this with another girlish chuckle then said, "You people are so silly. Of course I know all about the curse you and your friend suffer under, and I'm also aware that you're having problems because Tendo-san here isn't in her proper dimension."

"You know about that?" Nabiki-kun blinked.

"I...overheard you explain yourself earlier," Miyu replied, "I've been following you ever since I knew the Shinma was after you, and I thought maybe as compensation for helping me fulfill my mission I might help you to find your way back to your home. Larva here is very adept at Shinma magic, and the spell for reversing dimensional transfer is but a variation of the one we use to banish the Shinma. That is if you will accept aid from the likes of us..."

"Hey," Nabiki said, "Right about now I'd accept aid from an Oni if it meant getting back home to my wife, child and husband. I..."

She paused as the motionless body laying upon the floor began to glow faintly, and then a translucent form rose up from the body to take the shape of the young girl from before, only without the creepy presence that had made her seem to utterly inhuman.

"Thank you," she said in a voice that trembled like the ghost of an echo, "You've saved me from my own folly, and I'm in your debt for this. Thank you for separating me from that awful Shinma."

"Who are you?" Miyu asked calmly, as if this sort of thing happened all the time around her.

"I was a child who became a star before she was ready," the ghost replied, "I was picked to be an Idol singer and rose too quickly to popularity and prominence. I became bored with fame and lacked a purpose to my existence, and in a moment of weakness I became prey for the Shinma."

"Then you are fortunate to escape with your soul intact," Miyu replied, "Shinma feed upon their victims, and this one obviously was using you to tap into the emotional energies released by her victims during the act of singing."

"Yes," the ghost agreed in her otherworldly resonance, "The Shinma took my greatest joy and turned it into a means by which it sought to drain the energy out of others. But you reminded me of the real purpose behind my originally undertaking a singing career. I remember now the pure joy of music for its own sake, and in remembering this you have freed me from my own folly."

"Hey, no problem," Ranma-chan tried once again to sound nonchalant, "You gonna be all right now?"

"Yes," the ghost replied, radiating happiness as it added, "I am fulfilled because of you. I will owe you this debt forever. Thank you both for your near-sacrifice at my expense, and I am so sorry that you were nearly drawn into the trap that the Shinma forced me to construct."

The ghost leaned closer and kissed Ranma-chan on the cheek, then raised its face to kiss Nabiki-kun likewise, and then it flowed back into the floor and the glow disappeared, leaving only the body...which now began to breathe again in slow and gentle movements.

"Whoah," Ukyo said, "Did you guys catch all that?"

The Okonomiyaki chef need not have asked as she discovered when she saw the scowls on the faces of Akane and Shampoo as they regarded Ranma and Nabiki with matching expressions of possessive fury. She wasn't sure what issue most was setting them off, but when she started to think about that kiss on the cheek of her Ranma-honey she began to glow a little herself and eyed her transformed beloved with her own frown of suspicion.

Miyu arched a dark chocolate eyebrow as she took note of this, her golden eyes darting to Cologne, to whom she softly murmured, "Are they always like this, Elder?"

"You have no idea," Cologne replied, her expression inscrutable as she looked speculatively in the direction of the transformed Nabiki...

"How much farther is it?" Ranma asked.

"Keep your shirt on, kid," Talbain replied as he sniffed, the air, glancing around the open graveyard that he had led them to before he added, "Gotta be around here somewhere. Dimitri's one slick bastard, and it would suit his fancy to take refuge in a tomb or a mausoleum."

"Hmm," Perfume glanced down, studying the ground that was illuminated by the silver moonlight before she haunched down and said, "Footprints matching the ones where Kasumi was taken. Deep impressions around the sole, I'd guess one hundred fifty-five kilos, two meters solid with a slight indentation in the heal of one shoe. He's a levitator, no doubt about that, but he relaxed his guard a little as if he was carrying someone in his arms who weighed around fifty-six kilos even, which matches Kasumi's weight..."

"You can tell all that just by looking?" Nodoka asked, favorably impressed.

"That's not all, Mother-in-Law," Perfume added, "This slight mark here shows that the vampire wears a cape and probably dresses in period costume. He's confident of himself, very arrogant and self-assured, and he hasn't eaten in a while, which means that Kasumi is in considerable danger."

"Not too shabby," Talbain said in favorable tones, "You've almost perfectly described Dimitri."

"Kasumi!" Soun wailed, "Tell me where my little girl is at once! I have to find her..."

"We'll find her, Tendo-kun," Genma reassured him, "You have to have faith."

"He's right," Tofu said with grim emphasis, "We won't let anything bad happen to Kasumi."

"May not be that simple," Talbain warned, "Dimitri revels in his ability to destroy the lives of the innocent, it's what he lives for, to hear their screams and suffering the torments of the damned. Give him half a chance and he'll drink her as dry as a martini, then cast aside the shell, or use it to house a portion of his essence. You need to prepare yourself for the off-chance that when we find her she may not be the same Kasumi."

"Indeed," Cologne remarked, "But do not be so quick to dismiss our young Miss Tendo. She has her own resources yet to be drawn upon, and even an evil one such as Dimitri may not be prepared to cope with the charm she manifests."

"I may not know her like you," Talbain said, "But I know Dimitri and what he's capable of, so I'm just warning you to be realistic."

"And what about you?" Genma asked, "Aren't werewolves also supposed to be a type of monster?"

"Don't believe everything you hear, Gramps," Talbain replied, "I may howl at the moon sometimes, but I'm no mindless marauding animal, and I've got my standards. Besides, I'm the one who's helping you, remember?"

"Of course," Nodoka said smoothly, "My husband didn't mean to imply anything untoward, and so far you have been very helpful."

"Just so long as you help us find Kasumi," Tofu remarked, "No one will ask twice about you and what you represent."

"So," Ranma regarded Perfume nonchalantly, "Can you tell what color this guys eyes are?"

Perfume looked up and said, "Very pale and blood shot."

"Oh come on!" Ranma scoffed, "You don't mean to say you can tell that by looking at his footprints?"

"No," Perfume pointed, "I mean I can tell by looking."

"Huh?" Ranma whirled around, only to see the tall caped man standing some distance away, having appeared without warning.

"Dimitri," Talbain snarled as he haunched his shoulders.

"Talbain," the vampire revealed his fangs as he smiled, "Such a pleasure that you could lead these others to their eventual slaughter, but I was looking for the one who styles herself Tendo Nabiki. I do not see her among you."

"Monster!" Tofu cried, suddenly holding a mallet in one hand and a wooden stake in the other, "What have you done with Kasumi?"

"Why, I've done nothing to her...yet," Dimitri grinned as he stepped to one side, revealing Kasumi, who had been hidden by his cloak, "Save to offer her a chance at immortality. You see? She's here to tell you all about it."

Kasumi raised her head and smiled, "Father, Tofu-Sensei, such a pleasure to see you all are here. Ranma-kun, my little brother," she opened her lips to reveal sharp canines, "I've been especially looking forward to greeting you again..."

"Kasumi?" Soun cried in dismay as he saw his oldest daughter's eyes gleam crimson.

"It's me, father," Kasumi reassured him, spreading her arms wide as she added, "I feel perfectly fine...in fact I feel better than fine. I just have this peculiar craving, I can't quite describe it, but it feels...very nice..."

The family all looked at one another then collectively shuddered...

Continued.

Comments/Criticism/Kasumi Unleashed? Shadowmane

The Vampire Kasumi? Has the fiend sunk so low as to curse the lovely Kasumi? Stay tuned and find out if this author is that suicidal. ^_^ Be there.


	3. Chapter 3

DnabikiTT3

A Tale of Two Nabikis

By

Jim Robert Bader

(Based on the Works of Rumiko Takahashi & Others)

Part Three.

"Fiend!" Tofu cried, rushing forward with stake and mallet poised, "How dare you do this to her?"

"Tofu-Sensei!" Ranma cried, rushing forward in an attempt to intercept him, but as fast as he could move Dimitri proved much faster.

"How dare I do this?" Dimitri asked as he lifted Tofu from his feet with one hand, "Little man, I dare do what I please and I do not need the approval of others, least of all a brave fool ready to throw his life away for nothing."

With that Dimitri casually tossed Tofu aside, only with such force that the Doctor was heading for a stone marker at such a breakneck pace that it would like snap his spine in passing. Ranma managed to angle his forward rush, however, just in time to catch the somewhat older man and partially absorb the kinetic energy of his horizontal flight. Unfortunately there was more than enough energy there to slam them both into a headstone, hard enough to shatter it into pieces.

As the others were crying out in dismay at this, however, Dimitri found himself moving to dodge the twin axes that were hurtling his way. They both passed right by Kasumi, kicking up a breeze in their passing while doing her no harm, then they arced back towards Perfume, who was already in full motion rushing up to meet the Vampire with a snarl of feral fury.

Talbain blinked his eyes as he saw the Amazon Enforcer turn into a whirling dervish of steel as she tried to lay into Dimitri Maximoff with her broad axes. It seemed impossible that anyone could move as fast as the Amazon, let alone fast enough to keep even a Prince of the Vampire off-balance, but the brown haired girl was making a credible effort at chopping Dimitri to bits, and were it not that the larger man was twice as fast as she it might well have been over within the first dozen passes.

Of course she was only human, so it was inevitable that she would tire and slow a little, giving Dimitri the opening he needed to unleash a Chi-blast of negative energy almost directly in her face. Perfume was picked up and carried a good distance by the blast, but somehow managed to remain conscious, also maintain her firm grip upon both of her axes.

Meanwhile Soun and Genma were confronting Kasumi, the two men shaken by the sight of the gentle-mannered girl with the glowing eyes and slightly otherworldly air that made her seem somehow less innocent than the Kasumi that all remembered.

"Father," Kasumi asked, "What is wrong? Don't you want to see me now that I am freed by my new Master?"

"Kasumi," Soun was weeping, "What has he done to you? My little girl..."

"Easy, Tendo-kun," Genma cautioned, "That's not really Kasumi, that's some fiend from the pits of the nine Hells that's taken her image."

"Saotome-san?" Kasumi sounded genuinely confused, "I don't understand. Why would you say that about me? I really don't see that it's called for..."

"Now, my servant!" Dimitri gestured in her direction.

Suddenly Kasumi's whole attitude changed. She stood taller, smiled more deeply, revealing her fangs once again as she spread her arms wide and said, "Let me show you how much I've missed you..."

Suddenly Nodoka was there with her katana unsheathed, balking Kasumi's advance with its gleaming edge leveled in clear threat about neck level.

"Let's not for now, shall we dear?" Nodoka asked calmly, "I know you're not to blame for all of this, but until we sort things out I think you should just remain where you are like the good girl I know and raised like my own daughter."

"Yes Auntie," Kasumi replied, seeming all the more puzzled as if there were something within her that was struggling against the urge to embrace them.

Talbain, meanwhile, seized the moment where Dimitri was distracted to launch his own attack upon the Vampire, coming on like an rushing tide of fur and claws to try and lay out at Dimitri, who instantly responded by riding out the attack before countering with his own offensive.

"You suck," Talbain snarled, "Using that girl against her own family..."

"What of it?" Dimitri asked, completely unruffled as he hammered away at the werewolf, "She is but a tool of my will and there is nothing you or anyone else can do about it..."

Meanwhile, far overhead, a rebuttal to that notion was circling over the area making a quick appraisal of the layout of the battle.

"There they are," Beatrice noted, "And I believe that is your sister, only it looks as if she is being threatened by your Aunt Nodoka."

"Huh?" Nabiki gulped, still not quite used to seeing Nerima from an altitude of three hundred meters. She tried to focus as best she could on the part of the graveyard in which she could detect some movement, but her night vision was not as good as the Ocular sensory displays that were available to the silver haired Beatrice via her helmet.

"Just set us down and let me do my stuff, Beiko," said the redheaded Aiko, who was supporting Nabiki in her strong arms, just as Aiko was herself being supported by Beatrice, "I see the bastard who's responsible for all this. Looks like he's fighting some big dog or something..."

"By the fact that the creature you indicate is moving around on two legs," Beatrice remarked, "I would surmise that the fellow in question is none other than a werewolf..."

"Yeah, so what?" Aiko snorted, "All the same to me."

"Put me down next to my sister," Nabiki said, "I want to make sure that Kasumi's all right."

"I will endeavor to do this," Beatrice assured them, "One moment while I look for a clear space..."

Perfume was just managing to shake off the effects of the blast she had taken when she saw Beatrice land with the redheaded Alison in tow holding Nabiki. They were coming close to Kasumi, which set alarm bells ringing off in her mind as Perfume fought to regain her bearings. Before she could, however, Cologne tapped her on the shoulder to gain her attention, then gestured with her staff towards the continuing battle between Vampire and Werewolf.

"Help Talbain, he is the one most in need of your assistance, child," her elder informed her, "I will do what I can to help defuse the situation with our dear Miss Tendo."

Perfume knew better than to question her Matriarch. She might have issues with Cologne on other matters of a personal nature, but when it came to battle she knew where the authority resided, besides which her own private estimation of Talbain's situation confirmed that he was in sore need of some assistance. She headed off at once to battle, praying fervently to her gods that the gentle Kasumi could be spared from the life of the Undead, knowing well how her loss might affect her adopted family.

Besides this she just basically liked Kasumi and didn't want to see her suffer.

"Kasumi?" Nabiki said as soon as her feet touched ground, "Oneechan...?"

Nabiki stopped in mid-sentence when she saw the look Kasumi turned her way. It so happened that she was beyond the coverage provided by Nodoka's sword, leaving her vulnerable as Aiko had rushed off to join the fight against Dimitri while Beatrice held back and swept the area with her wrist as if it contained a miniature tricorder.

"Imotochan," Kasumi's smile revealed her fangs as her eyes gleamed crimson, "How wonderful to see you again. Oh my...you look good enough to eat..."

Kasumi moved more swiftly than Nabiki would have thought possible and was almost upon her when a blue light shot up and blocked her sister's progress. Kasumi bounced off an invisible barrier that Beatrice was projecting with her wrist, to which the Vampiric Kasumi looked faintly puzzled...and not a little bit frustrated.

"I think you had best remain where you are, Kasumi-san," Beatrice said calmly, "At least until we can sort out the particulars of your condition."

"I know what has to be done," Nodoka said grimly, only to find Cologne had interposed herself in her path.

"Let's not be hasty, Saotome-san," she cautioned Nodoka and the others, "Our Kasumi may not yet be lost to us completely. Be mindful that the true villain in this piece is the one who is attempting to pull her strings, but I-for one-do not count our Miss Tendo out just yet completely."

Meanwhile Ranma was stirring from where he and Tofu had been fallen. He was in somewhat better shape than Tofu, who-while an excellent martial artist in his own right-was far less resilient than the battle-hardened Ranma. Young Saotome immediately sought to know the lay of the situation as he fought to get back to his feet, seeing Kasumi apparently contained by his elders while the battle between Talbain and Dimitri had just been joined by the tag-team of Perfume and the redheaded Aiko.

The only problem was that the pair were not focusing on the exact same opponent.

Talbain was caught unawares when Aiko came barreling into him from the side, and not only was he surprised by the suddenness of this attack but the sheer physical power of his new antagonist, who laid into him with punches that hit like atomic-powered sledgehammers.

"What the...?" Talbain yelped as he went flying, even as Perfume closed in on Dimitri, who was just recovering from his own surprise at having the fight be so rudely interrupted.

"You again?" Dimitri sniffed as he once more easily kept out of reach of her axes, "This grows tiresome. You are starting to annoy me."

"Stand still and I'll do more than that!" Perfume snarled, pausing to aim a blow at the ground instead of Dimitri as she hurled the fearsome cry, "BAKUSEI TENKETSU!"

To the Vampire Lord's surprise the ground exploded in all directions and kicked up a cloud of dust that he only avoided by taking to the air and levitating.

"Clever," he remarked, "There is more to you than I would have expected."

Perfume snarled like a cat and was about to renew her attack with an aerial assault when the unexpected happened and it started to rain, which caused her a brief moment of panic before her curse took effect and she started to collapse inward.

Aiko meanwhile was stalking towards the stunned Talbain with the intent of finishing off the inhuman-looking creature. Talbain just gave her a bleary-eyed look and groaned, "Why me?"

"Your lucky day I suppose," Aiko snarled as she grabbed hold of him by his fur and prepared to give him an uppercut that would enable him to achieve geo-synchronous orbit.

All at once Ranma grabbed her by the arm and said, "Don't do it, Ai-chan! He's one of the good guys!"

"Huh?" Aiko looked at Ranma skeptically, "You've gotta be kidding!"

"He's helping us out!" Ranma all but shouted in her face, then pointed at Dimitri and said, "THAT's the bad guy who's turned Oneechan into a Vampire!"

"What?" Aiko turned around, depositing Talbain back on his furry feet, "Somebody hurt Kasumi? I'll pound him into hamburger!"

"Go right ahead," Talbain said, "Be my guest. Hey, Dimitri! You wanna challenge? Come and get it!"

"Feh," Dimitri alighted on the ground a mere six meters away, "What challenge? All I see before me are a few paltry humans."

"Oh," Aiko purred, "You want a challenge, do you?" she slapped a fist to her palm and said, "Like the man-uh-wolf said, step right up and get it."

Aiko charged the man, but Dimitri easily sidestepped her as if he were a matador and she a bull. His cunning smile only left his face when Aiko continued right on into and through a huge stone monument, shattering it completely before she was able to finally break her momentum.

"Eh?" he started to inquire when the redheaded rocket launched herself at him for a second time, only now she connected with a solid punch that picked the Vampire Lord up and sent him tumbling backwards. He hit a stone marker and went right on to collide with another, then another, bouncing off a statue before finally coming to a halt fifty meters away when his back collided with the entrance to a mausoleum.

"Not bad," Talbain said, finding it difficult not to be impressed.

"Kinda hooked it to the left a little though," Ranma observed, "Might want to try that again to see if you can get him dead center."

"Good idea," Aiko grinned hugely, "This guy ought to be good for a little workout..."

Nabiki had, meanwhile, been sufficiently distracted from the situation with Kasumi to take notice of the fact that Perfume had disappeared the moment the rain had started to fall, which prompted her to ask, "She has a Jusenkyo curse...and Ranma doesn?"

"Oh yes," said Kasumi, who now sounded perfectly normal again, "She turns into a cat. It really is unfortunate that she doesn't carry an umbrella like Ryoga."

The rain began to lessen once more until it became light drizzle. Nabiki had to check to be certain that no one else was turning into anything. Genma was in his Panda form, so at least that was normal, and she was relieved to see that her father and Aunt Nodoka did not change, while Kasumi...

She swallowed there and said, "Oneechan...do you have any idea what's happened to you?"

"Well...no, not exactly," Kasumi replied, "I do feel a little different, though. I can see much better now, and this rain doesn't seem to be bothering me as much. Other than that and a slight hunger I don't feel all that much different."

"Except for a slight overbite problem," Beatrice remarked pointedly, "Do you notice anything at all unusual about your front canines?"

"My...what?" Kasumi blinked, then she ran her tongue against her teeth and discovered the difference there, which prompted her to remark, "Oh my...how did this happen? I brush my teeth regularly after every meal..."

"Just don't take a bite out of me, will you?" Nabiki joked casually, then winced as she saw the pained look in her older sister's expression.

"Are you saying...that I've...changed?" Kasumi asked.

"Not at all, my dear Kasumi," Soun replied, "You're still your Daddy's little girl, even if you have been turned into a Vampire."

"Vampire?" Kasumi blinked her eyes, "But that's silly. If I were a Vampire don't you think I would know about it?"

"That all depends," Cologne observed, "One moment you seem perfectly yourself, but then when Dimitri Maximoff focuses his attention towards you, that is when you revert into his creature. I believe he may have imbued in you some of his foul essence. Do you know whether or not you were bitten in the past hour? Do you have any marks that might indicate a blood transference?"

"Marks?" Kasumi automatically felt along her throat then said, "Why no...I'm pretty sure I wasn't bitten. In fact I was sitting down in a chair all tied down when he started looking at me...and then I had this funny taste in my mouth and I found myself standing here with all of you. It's all very odd, and I don't quite know how to explain this..."

"I think I know what that peculiar taste signifies," Cologne said grimly, "Most people mistakenly believe that it is a Vampire's bite that causes Vampirism when it is in actuality their blood that conveys the transference of a Vampire's essence."

"Of course," Beatrice remarked, "He did not have to bite Kasumi, he merely had to hypnotize her, then cut himself and have her drink some of his blood. Only-if I do not miss my guess-that should not cause an immediate conversion into full-fledged vampirism. The change is subtle and takes times to metamorphosize to such a considerable extent..."

"Unless the process was accelerated artificially," Cologne interrupted, "In which case there is still a chance to save the Kasumi we know, provided you do not drink human blood. That would be what is needed to finalize your transformation."

"Oh my," Kasumi said, "Drink blood? Is that what I feel so thirsty for? I had no idea..."

Nabiki blinked as she saw her sister run her tongue over her fangs again, then turned back to see the ongoing battle between Aiko and the demonic Dimitri, who was currently bouncing around the graveyard like a pin-ball in a giant arcade. Dimitri seemed so painfully outclassed by Aiko on a physical level that it should have been painful to watch but was instead oddly satisfying.

Unfortunately Aiko did not take into account that her foe did not have to remain solid. While she had been pounding on him she had kept Dimitri off balance, but the moment she gave him enough slack he shifted his mass into ethereal form and became mist that she passed harmlessly through on her next offensive.

"Hey!" Aiko whirled around, "Where did he go?"

"Alison-behind you!" Beatrice called out.

"Huh?" Aiko started to turn around when Dimitri materialized directly behind her, seizing her in a powerful grip before she had time to react and brought her up to where he would be in a position to bite her.

Alison gasped as his fangs sank into her tough skin, but before he could go very far Ranma launched himself into a flying dragon stamp kick that caught the Vampire by surprise and gave Aiko time to wrest herself free then turn her position to her advantage as she picked him up and threw her assailant.

"Alison!" Beatrice cried out again, and then her normally composed features twisted into a snarl as she extended one gauntleted arm and said, "You hurt my Aiko! DIE!"

Nabiki flinched as she was standing a little too close when the salvo of mini-rocket shot from the silverhaired girl's arm to strike at the spot where Dimitri landed. The Vampire barely had time to register his danger when the area in which he sat became a free fire zone. A cloud of smoke was kicked up to obscure the whole area as Beatrice extended her other arm and cried, "Akagiyama Missiles! SHINAI!"

More explosions rocked the graveyard area and for a moment it seemed as if nothing could live where the missiles detonated. Aiko paused as she felt alongside her neck and stared incredulously at the sight of her own blood, then turned to look at Ranma and said, "Thanks for the save."

"Any time," Ranma replied with an affable shrug, then frowned, "Did she get him? Is he toast?"

"Don't hold your breath just yet," cautioned Talbain.

"Hey, even I'd have a rough time riding that out," Aiko replied, "I..."

The dust dissipated revealing the cloaked form of Dimitri. He dramatically allowed his cape to fall, then regarded them all with haughty disdain before he spoke again, "If that is the best that you can do, then this battle is as good as over."

"Huh?" Aiko reacted, then her eyes suddenly took on a glassy appearance and without turning to look her arm shot out and casually backhanded an unsuspecting Ranma.

"Uh oh," said Talbain, having sensed the change in mood in the redhead in time to catch Ranma as he went flying.

"Ranma!" Nabiki called out, only to find Kasumi's strong arms had encircled her since Beatrice had carelessly dropped her protective force screen.

"Is that you, Tendo Nabiki?" Dimitri called out, "How nice of you to finally put in an appearance. One moment and I shall attend to you, but first...these other distractions."

That was when a peculiar noise began to be heard, and suddenly all around the graveyard there were bodies thrusting themselves up out of the ground. Bony, rotting corpses crawled up out of their graves to take flanking positions from all around them.

"I had hoped to keep this between just the two of us," Dimitri said, "Such a pity you could not abide by such honorable constraints, much though I did enjoy this vigorous engagement. Now my minions will entertain you while I attend to the more promising engagement."

Everyone who could still fight looked nervously around as Soun said to Genma, "Saotome?"

"Doesn't look like we have any choice," Genma replied, "We'll have to make a fight of it."

Nodoka flashed her katana and said, "Let them come."

"Agreed," Beatrice said, "Nabiki-san?"

"I'm...all right," Nabiki grunted, feeling the hot breath of her sister on her neck belie the lie she had just spoken, "You guys do what you have to..."

Tofu chose that moment to regain full possession of his faculties, glanced around himself and said, "Uh...is somebody remaking Dawn of the Dead here?"

"Stand close beside someone who can watch your back, Doctor," Cologne cautioned as she stood strategically poised very close to Kasumi and Nabiki.

Aiko continued to stand glassy-eyed and ready, only she was facing the party and not the army of undead that was crowding them from all directions.

A normal Japanese funeral-unlike with western burial practices-involved cremation as a preferred means of burial, but Dimitri had stacked the deck earlier by planting his own undead minions, drawn from Christian graves and vitalized with dark enchantments. His evil infected these rotting corpses, but they were under the control of another, forming a Zombie legion that was ready to do the Vampire Lord's dark will and together they posed a credible threat to the beleaguered family of Martial Artists.

Just as the Zombies were about to attack, however, there came sudden flash of a ribbon that sliced through heads and body parts as a laugh split the night, followed by the clash of a thunderous explosion.

"What?" Dimitri cried in outrage, "More interruptions?"

From one end of the graveyard seven figures made their presence felt, beginning with Ryoga, who came hurtling out of the night with his umbrella extended to strike an area between several rotting mummies, causing an explosion that scattered them about like ten pins. Next a fleet-footed Kurumi appeared to dart and dash amidst the shambling corpses like a straw blown by a hurricane, and then following her came the slash of silver chains that caught and immobilized other zombies as Mousse appeared, lashing out like a swan kicked high on acid.

Akane was next to arrive, barreling through midst of undead zombies like a charging ram, knocking bodies into the air to mark her passage. Behind her came Natsume with her trademark rug beater laying about herself in all directions. Then a marker exploded and out of the dust tumbled a redheaded fury known as Arigami Keiko.

"This is absurd," Dimitri scoffed, "Is there no end to this rabble that I must deal with?"

The tap of a wooden blade against his shoulder heralded a voice that spoke behind him, "I believe that you will find that we more than sufficient to the challenge, villain. My friends and I shall gladly show you the error of your ways."

"Looks like the cavalry's finally arrived," Talbain sniffed, then raised his voice and said, "Don't hesitate to strike out at these guys, people! They're dead so they can't feel it, just don't turn your back on Dimitri!"

"Huh?" Akane blinked her eyes, "Who the heck are you."

"I'm on your side, cute stuff," Talbain grinned wolfishly, then at once stood alert as the undead creatures reformed their ranks and began to press in from all directions.

Cologne chose this moment to touch a spot between Kasumi's shoulder blade, and suddenly the oldest Tendo daughter blinked her eyes and lost her iron grip on her little sister.

"Oh my," Kasumi said, looking down as Nabiki freed herself from her grasp, "Imotochan? Is something wrong? Why is everyone standing around...oh...who are they?"

"They are threatening your sister," Cologne said smoothly, "I do trust that you will do your best to protect her now that I have temporarily blocked out the nerves Dimitri was using to control your actions."

Nabiki was feeling her neck, wondering it there would be a red mark from the way Kasumi had held her when Kodachi and a girl who looked surprisingly a lot like Ranma-chan-only much taller-came to stand at her side as Akane and Ryoga joined them, then as one they all turned to stare as one at the older Tendo girl before Keiko asked, "Hey, what's with Kasumi? Why was she trying to twist your head off?"

"Oneechan?" Akane spared a nervous look in Kasumi's direction.

"It's a long story, girls," Nabiki decided to refrain from asking any questions of her own, even though several things were confusing her greatly, not the least was the relatively sane expression in Kodachi's eyes as she stood back-to-back with the redhead as though the two were joined at the hip.

"What do we do, Nab-chan?" Ryoga asked as he stood close by Akane, as always ready to protect her.

Nabiki stifled her first impulse, which was to say, "How the hell should I know?" These people were clearly used to a Nabiki who was much more accustomed to weird situations such as this, so she said the only thing that came to mind, "Don't look them in the eyes and stay sharp and focused. These guys are poison, so don't let them bite or scratch you."

She had only meant the words to apply to the Zombies she knew strictly from the movies more than a class on comparable mythologies that she had taken many semesters ago. It was a guess on her part, based on Cologne's words, that prompted her to suspect that letting themselves be touched by the creatures would be VERY BAD. She hoped she had put enough force in her tone to sound as authoritative as her counterpart, though at the moment she was wishing very badly that she had studied the martial arts to the same extent as Akane.

"Oh my," Kasumi said as she turned around and surveyed the situation, then found Tofu was standing by her side and said, "Tofu-Sensei?"

"I'm here," he said as reassuringly as he could, "I won't let any of these creatures harm you."

Kasumi was not sure why but that simple declaration did make her feel a lot better...

Meanwhile Ranma-who had just shrugged off the latest assault to his manhood-saw the situation with Aiko and was about to come to the aid of the werewolf, Talbain, when a small cry to his right brought him around to see Perfume-neko was being threatened by some Zombies. Putting aside his general feelings of concern for Nabiki and the others, the brown haired Amazon Enforcer was clearly the one in the most need, so he rushed to her side, scooping her up into his arms on the fly while dealing savage kicks to her would-be assailants, then hastily wended his way back towards the others with his precious cargo. He was about to hand her-from sheer force of habit-over to Kasumi when he belatedly remember that someone else was nearby and turned a sheepish look her way.

"Uh..." he said hesitantly, "You don't have a problem with cats, do you?"

Nabiki actually blinked at that, "No, why do you...?" she blinked again, "Don't tell me my counterpart studied the Nekoken?"

Ranma flashed her a smile before handing her the cat, then said, "Anybody got a canteen with some hot water? We're gonna need Perfume back in full fighting trim."

"Allow me," Nodoka said as she produced said canteen from her side, and within seconds Perfume was restored to full normal. (And Nabiki blinked her eyes as she saw what normal passed for with this girl, for she was built like the proverbial brickhouse without the visual obstruction of her Chinese-style outfit).

"You could have grabbed my axes at the very least, Airen," a naked Perfume complained as she darted from Ranma's side to head off into the area where she had dropped her belongings.

"Hey, you're welcome," Ranma said dryly with a slight smile as he spared a glance to study the naked girl in her full glorious free motion.

"That's it," Nabiki growled to herself, "As soon as I get back home I'm selling that old Panda to the zoo...!"

Dimitri, meanwhile, was finding himself being surprisingly hard pressed by the bokken-wielding Samurai as wood was his natural enemy and the youth in question was far more skilled than might be expected. No sooner did Dimitri think himself in a position to turn the tables then the young man in the hakama was joined by a fleet-footed girl with dark hair who also wielded a wooden rug beater as if it were a club to pummel him senseless.

"Is there no end to this effrontery to my person?" Dimitri scoffed after having traded dozens of blows with his two opponents, "Mere humans are not worthy to be my enemies."

"That remains your opinion," Tatawaki countered with a confident smile, "But I believe that you will find us no mere peasants to be lightly dismissed."

"That is so," Dimitri said with grudging respect, "But I waste my time with you anyway since the real prize is near at hand, so I shall finish this now before you become a further annoyance."

Dimitri separated himself from the battling pair then raised his arms and summoned his power, unleashing a torrent of hell-fire in their direction.

"Behind me!" Natsume cried as she spun about with sweeping passes of her rug-beater, summoning a cold wind that blew hard against the hellfire, deflecting its wrath though some managed to get past her defenses.

"Nachi-chan!" Tatawaki cried as he caught the slender girl in his arms, seeing that her clothing had been mildly singed by the hellfire. Natsume was no more than lightly stunned by the psychic flames that had but briefly overwhelmed her, but it was enough to light a blazing inferno in the eyes of Tatawaki, who gently set her on the ground then raised his sword and cried, "You go too far, Monster."

Dimitri was about to turn his back in a show of contempt for the youth when he became aware of a swirling of energies as the young man called upon the power of his Ki then raised his sword in both hands as a faint blue glow played about the wood. Kuno made a sudden slashing gesture without leaving the place where he stood and that glow shot from the blade to slice the air where Dimitri had been standing. That Dimitri was now standing some measure to one side of the attack only meant that the Vampire was spared the fate of the statue that had exploded behind him.

"Impressive," Dimitri said, "You are indeed more than you might seem, but it changes nothing."

Tatawaki did not spare any words as he came rushing at Dimitri and made a series of rapid slashes that caused the Vampire to dissolve into mist, but when Dimitri reformed Tatawaki was prepared and stabbed in a backwards that struck home exactly in the place where the Vampire lord materialized.

Incredibly, though, Dimitri only seemed annoyed at having a meter of rosewood sticking into his chest. His expression was pained but he mastered it well, growling malevolently, "Let us see how you fare without your toy!"

A backhand smash forced Tatawaki to release his grip on the bokken, giving Dimitri the chance to pull it out of himself and toss it to one side. He was about to press his attack when Ranma came rushing up to strike at the Vampire from his blind-side, punching and kicking him with a rapid series of blows that staggered Dimitri and caused him to retreat to a safe distance.

"Another annoying insect?" Dimitri snarled as he threw up his cape to deflect the attack from his latest opponent.

"I ain't no insect, Creep!" Ranma snarled, pausing to raise one hand, which started to glow with a swirl of energies that erupted into a blazing inferno, "I'm Saotome Ranma of the Anything Goes School, Master of the Senken, and you're ass is MINE!" he cried before unleashing a holocaust in the Vampire's direction...

Meanwhile Talbain was having trouble keeping out of the reach of the possessed Aiko, having already tasted the power of her fists as she fought with mechanical energy, right up until Beatrice surprised her with a full Nelson from behind her.

"Fight it, Aiko!" Beatrice grunted while using every bit of leverage she could gain to imprison the arms of her companion, even wrapping her legs around the redhead's waist to thwart all attempts to dislodge her, "Don't let him control you!"

Aiko gave no sign that she even heard those words and instead sought to dislodge her erstwhile partner by sheer brute force, causing Beatrice to strain all the more, even bolsted as she was by the power suit she was wearing.

"Some assistance, please!" Beatrice grunted.

"I'm game, lady," Talbain replied, "Only how? That girl's got rocks for muscles!"

"She has a human frame and nervous system," Beatrice managed to say calmly in spite of the titanic struggle that she was gradually losing, "Just find a way to break her concentration!"

"Break her concentration?" Talbain blinked, then grinned a wolfish expression, "Why didn't you say so?"

He turned around and thrust his hindquarters at Aiko then brought his fluffy tail up into play, wagging it back and forth in front of Aiko as she flinched from the contact, then began to writhe as if being tickled by a bushy feather duster.

The effort was just enough to make Aiko relax, and Beatrice took advantage by thrusting a diamond-tipped needle from her gauntlet into the neck of her best friend and partner. She withdrew it at once as Aiko immediately stiffened then started to go tense all over. Beatrice let go and rolled on the ground before righting herself gracefully, then touched the controls on her bracer and sent a charge along the length of a wire taser.

"GAAAH!" Dimitri cried before staggering under the assault of the psychic backlash. He recovered almost instantly to confront the flaming dragon that Ranma was employing to keep him off balance, then snarled like a fiend from the pits and summoned up his own dark powers to confront Ranma's Senken maneuvers, pitting demonic force against elemental energies that shook the air with reverberations and drowned the thunder of the heavens for several long, tense instants...

Aiko cried out and slapped herself on the neck. Aiko's eyes lost their glassy focus and she blinked them twice before looking around and saying, "Where am I?"

Beatrice retracted the wires back into her gauntlet and said, "Welcome back to the living, Aiko-chan. I trust you are refreshed enough to help us bring an end to this matter."

Aiko felt where the bite-mark had almost healed back on her then growled, "He did something to me? That bastard's gonna pay! I'm gonna pound him into his next three incarnations!"

Ranma relaxed his fire burst and stared at the smoldering spot where Dimitri had been standing, sensing no remains of his villainous foeman, which gave him the faint hope that the fiend had been cremated to mere ashes.

"Hey, Tachi-kun, old buddy," he smiled as he saw Tatawaki get back to his feet, "Have a nice nap, because this party is just getting started."

"Ranma, my old friend," Tatawaki said as he accepted his bokken from a recovered Natsume, "I am gratified that we stand side-by-side once more against this fiend from the hell-pits. We will send him back to the flames of perdition for his many foul transgressions."

"Right back at you, pal," Ranma grinned before the two men struck fists together and shared a smile like comrades in arms, shoulder-to-shoulder.

"I don't believe this," Nabiki shook her head, standing a little ways off and hearing dialogue that would have choked on the lips of the Kuno and Ranma that she knew.

"Are you feeling well, sister?" Natsume asked, "I would have thought that you would have been at the forefront of the battle fighting alongside your iinazuke."

"Ah...about that," Nabiki said sheepishly, "There's a really funny story I've been meaning to tell you..."

All at once the ground beneath their feet shook like an earthquake, and then Ranma gave a yelp of dismay as a black column of inky night burst through the fused ground of their battle and Dimitri rose up from the pit like the demon he so resembled.

"Uh oh," the redheaded Keiko rumbled, "Looks like this rumble just went into extra innings..."

"Insolent whelps," the Vampire snarled, standing as if unaffected by these displays of camaraderie and bravado, "You are formidable fighters but you have but delayed my inevitable victory. That, while no small achievement in itself, barely warrants my respect. You have yet to face my real power, and now that you have obligingly gathered together in one place..." he grinned, exposing teeth that would have frightened a Tasmanian devil.

All at once hands sprang up out of the ground and snared at legs and feet, holding immobilized those who were unprepared to counter this new assault. From the ruins of one of the tombs a figure burst out into life looking partly like a skeleton but with rotting grey flesh attending to bones that were clad in a peculiar leather outfit, a twelve-string guitar clutched in bony hands as the figure strummed the keys of a heavy metal funeral dirge.

"Sorry I'm late, Mate," the skeleton-like figure called out, "I was a bit detained finding my way to this gig, but I was looking for my cue so's I could jump in and crash this little shindig. Anybody mind if I do a little head banging?"

"Deal with them, my ally," Dimitri said dismissively, "I weary of these pointless battles when the true challenge awaits me there."

"Sure thing, Boss," the Zombie grinned like the rotting skeleton that he was, and his fingers ominously worked the chords of his instrument, producing sounds that was jarring to the nerves and quite unpleasant to the senses.

Ignoring the efforts of the martial artists who sought to break free of the hands that gripped their legs Dimitri purposefully strode across open ground to where Nabiki struggled helplessly with her own ankle grabbers. Nabiki pursed her lips to scream in uncharacteristic panic as Dimitri seized her with one hand and lifted her from the suddenly releasing handlers, then brought her up to eye level and showed her a set of fangs that looked to her to be the size of lion-tusks.

"NABIKI!" Ranma cried, summoning up his power once again as he sought to break loose from the hands that gripped him.

"Nabiki!" Nodoka also cried out as she was momentarily distracted from her own efforts with her katana.

"Nabiki?" Soun did as best he could to whirl around with his legs still held fast to the stop, "What is he doing to her?"

The panda at his side held up a sign that read, "I don't know, but I don't like it."

"Nabiki-chan?" Kasumi gasped, and since she alone was not being held by anything she started to take a few hesitant steps forward.

"What is wrong?" Dimitri snarled as his eyes narrowed, "Everyone else has given me a fight but you. What are you holding back for? Show me your true power!"

"I-I can't," Nabiki gasped as she felt herself being squeezed to death by the monster.

For one moment nothing moved or breathed, then Dimitri almost casually remarked, "So...the girl did not lie. You are not the Tendo Nabiki that I was seeking, which means that you are worthless."

With that he almost contemptfully tossed her to one side. Ranma cried out her name and fought even harder to free himself, but it was Mousse who was able to act, unleashing chains that wrapped around Nabiki and broke her momentum. She started to fall towards the ground only to find Kasumi's surprisingly strong arms caught her up in an embrace. She was held closely by her Vampiric sister, who soothingly murmured, "There, there, Imotochan...I won't let anything hurt you. You're safe with me."

"How disgusting," Dimitri sniffed, "It seems that I have wasted my time after all, and the fight was looking so promising. If you had truly proved better than these, your minions, then I could have enjoyed a battle royal. So be it, Raptor. You may do with them as you will."

"With pleasure, Boss-man," the Zombie King responded.

"Raptor!" Talbain growled, "You worthless bag of bones, when I get free I'm gonna bury you!"

"Sticks and stones, Wolfie," Raptor grinned a toothy grin, then strummed a few notes on his guitar as he added, "I got myself a little melody here I been meanin' to play, I call it 'Slaughter 'Round The Clock All Night,' and I personally think it's one of me best efforts."

He struck a few off-chords and the resultant sonic blast not only caused Talbain to howl but Perfume, who doubled over clutching at her ears with fists that had regained possession of her axes.

It had taken her precious moments to fight off the zombies while hastily dressing herself so that she would have a modicum of modesty for all her troubles, but this new assault was too much for her to ignore. To escape her torment she thrust one of her axes down at the ground that was gripping her and called forth another Bakusai Tenketsu which caused the ground to erupt and throw her to freedom.

Kasumi gently lowered her sister to the ground, seeing the red marks around Nabiki's throat where Dimitri had held her. A sudden need arose in her to do something, to find some way of protecting her family and loved ones. It was no longer even a question of saving herself, it was her fault anyway that everyone had come rushing into such peril.

For once in her life Kasumi regretted that she had chosen not to pursue the martial arts. She had never really needed combat skills until now, had always stood to the sidelines and let others fight, believing for herself that there was a different way to live that did not involve having to hurt other people. She knew objectively that being a good person was not really a defense against evil beings who would want to have their way with her, but it had somehow never seemed to her as if she would ever be facing such a danger. Violence was something that happened to other people, it mostly washed over her with no ill effects as she went about her daily routines, taking pleasure in her simple existence.

But now Nabiki was paying the price for her choices, and so was everyone else. It was so unfair for them, really, Kasumi had never foreseen a situation where things could become so unreasonable, and now they were saying that she had been tainted by evil and become a vampire.

A vampire? But that was silly! How could she be a creature who took joy in causing suffering to others like Dimitri? It had to be a mistake, she couldn't really be a creature of such evil. There had to be a way to prove to everyone that she was essentially the same person. Perhaps if she had some garlic or a cross, maybe some other holy sign, or possibly even a mirror...

That was when she remembered the bulge that was in her apron. She had put the Nanban mirror into her pouch just moments before Dimitri had surprised her. It must never have occurred to the Vampire lord to search her. She gently set Nabiki down to one side then fished it out now and held it up, knowing that her enhanced night vision would allow her to see her own reflection even in the faint cloud-dimmed moonlight.

Her faint hope died when she found nothing looking back at her but the reflection of a damaged monument that stood directly behind her. It was true then...she had no reflection! The sudden pain this caused her made her weep a single tear then hold the mirror up to her breast, thinking to herself that it was so unfair. Not only was she cursed but she could not help Nabiki, not if the Vampire lord had some power over her that could make her do his bidding.

If only she were someone who was not so cursed, who could fight and protect those whom she loved. If only...

"What are you doing?" Dimitri asked, suddenly standing over her as if drawn like a moth to the sense of power that the mirror radiated, "What have you got there, my servant?"

"I..." Kasumi started to say as she felt the mental compulsion come over her once again, only something very odd was happening to her. Waves of strange energy washed over her person, causing her outline to briefly ripple and distort, and suddenly she was dressed differently and had a very different expression on her lovely features.

"Eh?" Dimitri frowned, confused as the girl before him suddenly leaped back and assumed a fighting posture.

"Who are you?" asked the Kasumi who was now wearing Chinese-style clothing and wore her hair in a different sort of pony tail, "Where am I? Where is Shampoo?"

"That mirror," Dimitri frowned, "It has done something to you...caused you to change as a person. But how is this effected?"

"The mirror?" Kasumi frowned, then glanced down to see the odd way that Nabiki was looking at her. She could not miss noticing the red mark around her younger sister's neck as she turned a hard look back up towards Dimitri and said, "What have you been doing to my sister?"

"Oneechan?" Nabiki asked in evident puzzlement.

Kasumi was confused at finding herself in a graveyard of all places surrounded by her family and friends (plus a few she did not recognize), who seemed to be fighting against cadaverous opponents, and this one gentleman before her whose eyes glowed with malevolence and fairly read of negative Ki to her senses. It was not hard at all to make him out to be the bad guy.

Especially since Cologne chose that moment to call out, "He has threatened to hurt your loved ones, Tendo Kasumi! He is evil and must be stopped!"

"You..." Kasumi hissed as she focused her attention towards Dimitri, "Threatened my little sister?"

She began to glow a faint blue, and Dimitri murmured to himself, "Perhaps this night will not be so wasted after all..."

He began to take a step forward when Kasumi launched herself into an attack that was as swift as it was unexpected. Dimitri barely got his arm up in time to deflect the first strike, but Kasumi spun while still in mid-air and gave a back-kick that penetrated his guard and knocked him on his heels long enough to follow up with hands that glowed with unmistakable power...

Kasumi found herself in dark surroundings and looked around, trying to regain her bearings. Her enhanced visual powers allowed her to make out objects that had a distinctive heat signature. She was indoors inside someone's room, and after only a few moments she concluded that it was the bedroom of a young girl, most probably a teenager.

There were books on shelves and a writing desk upon which she could see a personal home computer. There was a poster of some idol singer but for the most part the room was basically quite Spartan. Everything was neat and well organized, reflecting a personality that was no doubt very down to earth and practical in outlook. Of course the fact that the heat signature was strongest coming from the bed was no surprise as someone was deep asleep there, and after a few brief moments of study Kasumi concluded that it was her sister, Nabiki.

Relief flooded through her at the sight of her sister's peaceful face exposed from beneath the bedsheets. Kasumi crept over to the bed and looked down with great fondness, watching Nabiki's chest rise and fall in a regular manner and feeling overwhelming affection.

Nabiki was all right, then, the whole thing in the graveyard must have been some manner of nightmare. It was curious that Nabiki was sleeping alone on a regular bed instead of a tamati mat with Shampoo curled up beside her, but at the moment Kasumi wasn't looking into the mouth of any gift horses. All that mattered to her was that Nabiki was uninjured. She knelt down before the bed and felt a motherly protectiveness extend from her to her younger sister. Normally Nabiki seemed so rugged and capable, but to see her like this made Nabiki seem both vulnerable and in need of her big sister.

"Imotochan," she murmured faintly, forgetting as she did so that her sister was a light sleeper.

Nabiki had been experiencing a dream about being with her older sister, only Kasumi was in male form in this dream and holding Nabiki in his powerful male arms, saying all the things Nabiki wanted to hear and inspiring such desire that the waking Nabiki would profusely deny experiencing in real life. The dream was still with her when she opened her eyes very slowly, sensing a present hovering above her. Only half-awake Nabiki turned to look up at the dark form highlighted in the dim moonlight, being slow to recognize the features as belonging to her big sister.

"Nabiki-chan," Kasumi said with her own intense longing, not realizing as she did so that she exposed her fangs, or that her eyes were glowing from within, betraying her Vampiric nature.

It only took Nabiki a few seconds before she started screaming...

"Wow," Ranma said, "Get a load of Oneechan."

"The fair Kasumi does strike the base villain like a woman possessed," Tatawaki remarked.

"Yeah," Kurumi agreed, "And he obvious is feeling it this time."

"Perfume!" Mousse saw the Amazon rushing past them, "Surely you can free me so that I can fight by your side."

"No thanks," she said, "I like you right where you are, but I will help these others get free so they don't have to listen to your whine so much."

At the sight of Mousse's stricken expression Kurumi rolled her eyes then went immediately to his rescue.

"Oneechan?" Akane asked as she saw the battle royal break out between the monster they had been fighting and what looked like a more aggressive version of her sister.

"She fights almost like Nabiki," Ryoga noted.

"Looks like the lady's just gotten a whole lot better," said Talbain, turning back to Raptor, "It'll be a whole new ball game as soon as I get free..."

"Not a chance, mate," Raptor said as he prepared to strum another sonic assault, only to start as something went whirling past his head, narrowly missing the Zombie King in its passage, "What the...?"

The ax struck the ground with explosive results, and suddenly Talbain was freed, leaping to the attack against Raptor before his foe knew what had happened.

Perfume came running up to retrieve her ax, having successfully liberated everyone so that they could fight the remaining Zombies. Nodoka was reducing several of them to their constituent body parts while her Panda husband protected her flanks and Soun fought hard to win a path closer to Nabiki and Kasumi.

Nabiki meanwhile was taking stock of this new version of her sister, a Kasumi who was a capable fighter in every sense, whose hands were glowing with Ki-force, making her punches and kicks a more than credible threat to the vampire, who-oddly enough-seemed to be relishing the punishment that she dealt him.

"Magnificent!" Dimitri said after two minutes of furious exchanges, "This is the fight that I yearned for! You do yourself better credit than any of these others, which means that my inevitable victory will taste all that much sweeter."

"You mean you enjoy torturing my family?" Kasumi said in what-for her-sounded like outrage, "This carnage is your idea of entertainment?"

"But of course," Dimitri said as both sides paused to take stock of the other, "I live for the slaughter, the flow of blood, the suffering of my victims as I crush the life from the puny forms and draw their vital essence. The carnage of battle is as sweet as mother's milk to me, for what else can a man live for when he has lost his fear of death? You have given me the sport that I crave, and for that I do thank you."

"Yeesh," Keiko remarked to Kodachi, "This guy's a real glutton for punishment."

"Indeed," the Black Rose sighed, "And to think they used to call me crazy..."

Kasumi was in the process of trying to take in the manifest evil before her when Nabiki came rushing up and said, "I know how to double your sport! You came to face me, right? Only I'm not the Tendo Nabiki that you were looking for."

"Nabiki?" Kasumi looked at her in confusion.

"Do you have the Nanban mirror, Kasumi?" Nabiki asked.

"Do I...?" Kasumi paused, looking momentarily confused, then she reached to her side and pulled it out with a note of curiosity, "Is this what brought me here? I was in your room holding onto it when I felt this odd tug pulling me somewhere, and then I was here."

"Let me have it, Oneechan," Nabiki said, holding out a hand, "I know what to do, if you guys will just give me a moment."

"So that is the object of power that I sensed before," Dimitri mused, "Very well, I am sufficiently intrigued that I will allow you to proceed. Your aim is to exchange places with the version of yourself that I came here to meet?"

"You got it, buster," Nabiki smiled as she held the mirror to her, the paused a moment before saying, "This'll take a moment. The mirror works with human tears..."

"Then it is of little use to me," Dimitri said, "I cause suffering, but I have rarely known suffering myself, and I do not shed tears like a human."

"I kinda figured that," Nabiki said, then did something that was very rare for her which was to open up to her emotions. In a way she hated to do what she knew had to be done to effect her return to her own version of Nerima, much though the thought deeply pained her as she had been granted a glimpse of what her life could have been like in this world.

In fact that was the thing that made it easy for her to cry, the sense of longing and regret that leaving this world would cause her. Here she had love, affection, respect from her peers, real friendship, a family, while in the other world...she had her schemes and her isolation, and nobody there much liked her for herself. It was her own fault, she knew, the choices she had made to experience a life without constant grief and pain, such as tormented Akane. For a fact it would be hard to give up a world where there was a Shampoo who clearly loved a Tendo Nabiki enough to bear a child by her, and with the pain of loss that inspired in her Nabiki felt her tears begin to flow, more than enough to trigger the Mirror's dimension warping potential.

What she did not count on, however, was that Ranma would see the tears from close nearby and be moved by them, enough so that he approached and said, "Don't cry, Nab-chan. We'll miss you as much as you'll probably miss us."

"Ranma..." Nabiki gasped as she felt his hand touch her shoulder, only now that the mirror was activated she felt a link open up between them, and all at once they both vanished from that world together...

"So, what do I have to do?" Nabiki asked, now restored to her proper gender and in the safety of her family garden.

"That would depend," Miyu replied, "Objects of power such as this mirror must have an activation spell or component, something that will cause it to become active."

"That's easy," the now-male Ranma said, "The mirror works on tears. You just cry and think of where you want to go and it takes you there."

"Only this time we must wait to see if the mirror will become active on the other side," Cologne said, "When you see a glow from within that will be the time for you to shed your tears and think of the place from whence you came, then will yourself there."

"No problem," Nabiki nodded, "I got that."

"Are you sure?" Akane asked, "You'll need tears to make it happen."

"That's right," Ukyo said, "No offense, but you're not exactly the most emotional person we've ever known."

"Maybe you get help from father?" Shampoo asked, "Him cry enough for whole army."

"The things I must put up with in my own house," Soun shook his head, looking as if tears were a very real option. Beside him the Panda held up a sign that read, "You said it."

"Unfortunately the tears must be shed by the person who is using the mirror," Cologne, "And since the idea is to exchange Nabiki with her other self and not her father I would council that you find sufficient motivation to cry your own tears."

"No problem," Nabiki said, "I'll just think of my wife and kid going on without me. That'll get me started. If that doesn't work then I'll try thinking of the stock markets."

"Oh my," Kasumi observed, "It does sound a little odd when you say that. The thought of you having a wife who bore you a child..."

"Yeah, no fooling," Akane averred, "This must be a really weird place you call home, Neechan."

"I just call it home," Nabiki smiled, "I leave the weird part for others to explain, but from what I've seen it looks as if you have your own standard for weirdness."

"Huh, you got that right!" Ranma snorted.

Nabiki stared at the mirror and said, "It's hard to imagine the sort of power this thing must have. The ability to create a time corridor, to be able to go anywhere with a thought...even with all I know about magic it still seems pretty amazing."

"I just wish I could use the thing to find a cure for my curse," Ranma huffed, "But according to you not even Jusenkyo can help me."

"I didn't exactly say that," Nabiki cautioned, "I said that the curse may not be as easy to get rid of as dipping yourself in Nanniichuan water. I'm pretty much in the same boat as you, Ranchan, only I think there might actually be a reason for why I have the curse, and until that purpose if fulfilled I don't think that I'll be allowed to remove it. Besides...I've kind of gotten used to being Kaneda, and I don't want to disappoint Shampoo by disregarding her wishes."

"You mean you've accepted it?" Ukyo asked.

"In a way I have," Nabiki glanced down, "It's not really that easy losing a part of myself like my sex to some curse, and every time I find myself holding something between my legs that shouldn't be there...I feel as if I've abandoned a promise to myself that I'd never lose what it means most to be a woman. I can't help but wonder what my mother would say if she could see me now...would she be proud to acknowledge me as her daughter?"

"If not then it would be her loss," Cologne said sagely, "True Amazons are forbidden to indulge in the curse of Nanniichuan. There is an ancient law forbidding the practice of using the water to achieve the same ends that you have. Obviously my counterpart on your world has managed to make allowances in your case, no doubt because you are merely Amazon by adoption."

"I guess so," Nabiki lifted her eyes, which were tearfully moist, "Still...there are times when being in control, being the head of my household, of having to balance the strong personalities of my family off one another, trying to make a home that we all can share...sometimes it can be pretty overwhelming."

"Hey, don't cry," Ranma moved closer to Nabiki, "You got a great life from the sound of it, and if you're the best in your world then the Ranma over there must be a pretty lucky guy."

"You really think so?" Nabiki intended her question to be rhetorical, but it felt good to know that the Ranma here at least had enough consideration for her feelings to make such a statement.

"Sure," Ranma patted her on the shoulder, only belatedly aware that the temperature in the yard was rising rapidly from the direction of Ukyo, Shampoo and Akane.

"Ranma," Nabiki started to say, a tear rolling down her cheek as she considered his strong features, so very much like her beloved iinazuke, "I...I guess this is goodbye here. You have a nice life, but remember what I said. Don't let anybody rush you into marriage until you really think about it."

"Ah..." Ranma was uncomfortable with the way this Nabiki was looking at him, her expression unlike anything he had ever seen in the face of the Nabiki he so well remembered.

"What are you doing, you Hentai?" Akane started forward, "That's my sister...!"

The tear fell from Nabiki's cheek and struck the mirror at a glancing angle. Nabiki looked down, startled as the thing flared to full activation, and then a disorientation overcame her senses, reaching out to include her and the person nearest to her. She and Ranma began to glow with a faint blue aura, and-seeing this-Akane gasped and said, "Oneechan...Ranma?"

And by sheer reflex she reached out to touch her iinazuke and found the glow extending in her direction...

Nabiki looked around, finding the setting entirely different from anything that she might have expected. Ranma gasped as he looked around too, then Akane said, "Where are we? What's going on around here?"

"Ah," Dimitri remarked, "So you didn't lie...or should I say that of your counterpart? I take it that you are the Tendo Kasumi that I sought out for the purposes of challenge?"

"N-Nani?" Nabiki turned to regard the tall, aristocratic Vampire Lord and had the oddly sinking sensation that she had just walked in on the third reel of a Thriller movie.

"Who the heck are you?" Ranma started to demand.

"Dimitri Maximoff," the tall man bowed, "At your service. Now, with the pleasantries thus dispensed, shall we resume this as our fight was originally intended?"

"Careful, Imotochan," said Kasumi, who was standing close nearby, "He's stronger than he looks."

Nabiki barely sized up her older sister with a side glance and decided that some interesting things had been going on during her absence...

Nabiki almost felt regret to find herself in her own familiar yard surrounded by people she knew (and two that she did not, but this was par for the course in Nerima). It was good to be away from that Zombie-filled battlefield, but considering what was waiting for her in this frame...

"Huh?" Ranma said beside her, "What the heck just happened? That felt...really weird..."

"Tell me about it," Akane agreed, turning towards Ukyo and Shampoo as she smiled, "Hey guys, did we win or not? I was half expecting you to be right there in the thick of things, like usual."

"Huh?' both Ukyo and Shampoo said in chorus.

"Interesting," Cologne remarked with a narrowing of her eyes and a slight smile of bemusement.

"I do believe that something unexpected has just occurred," ventured Miyu with a thoughtful expression while her silent masked companion just nodded his head in mute agreement.

"Ah, what the heck," Ranma clapped Nabiki on the shoulder before turning to smile at the astonished pair of suitors, "We're home and that's what matters, right? How's it going, Ucchan, keeping the home fires burning?" he lightly chuckled the motionless Ukyo with a mock punch to her chin, then leaned forward and murmured, "If Perfume's not keeping you too busy maybe we can go for a stroll later, if Sham-chan here doesn't mind very much."

"No mind?" Shampoo blinked, then before her surprise could turn to anger Ranma nudged her with his elbow and said, "Hey, I wasn't going to leave you out...that is if Nab-chan and you don't mind making it a double-date. And if Perfume wants to come, well...I guess that'll make it a full house, won't it?"

His suggestive grin made both girls feel incredibly awkward. Ranma never paid either of them this much attention, let alone without prodding, and it unselfconsciously made Ukyo and Shampoo turn their heads to glance in Akane's direction.

To their utter amazement their longtime rival was giving them all a friendly smirk before turning away and saying, "I wonder if Ryo-chan found his way back? Sure hope he didn't get lost on his way from that cemetery."

"Cemetery?" Cologne raised both eyebrows.

"Um...Akane-chan?" Nabiki hesitantly asked, "Ranma-kun...there's something you guys ought to know..."

"Huh?' both translated youth asked in unison.

"Very interesting," Miyu commented softly, then gave Cologne a side-glance and asked, "Does this sort of weirdness happen much in these parts?"

"You have no idea," Cologne said simply.

"Interesting," Miyu smiled, "I think I'm going to like it around here even better than I'd imagined."

Larva could not offer any comment on his own, but as he heard this pronouncement he silently shook his head and glanced with his masked eyes rolling towards the heavens...

"Dimitri Maximoff, huh?" Nabiki mused as she regarded the tall nobleman, who looked like he had just walked off the set of a vampire movie, "Fancy name for a foreigner. Have you been giving some trouble to my people?"

"I consider it a mere warm up for our real battle," Dimitri said as he took a commanding pose and smiled in a way that revealed his fangs and the inhumanity of his nature, then without further adieu launched himself in an attack towards Nabiki.

She, Ranma and Kasumi all three scattered in different directions, Nabiki taking to the air with a powerful leap that was matched by the Vampire Lord as the two found themselves facing off with the ground far beneath them. Dimitri moved the flaps of his cape forward and stiffened them to form razor-sharp blades, which Nabiki avoided by twisting her body in mid-air then lashing out with a kick to his head that solidly connected.

The Vampire Lord easily shrugged off the attack and sought to counter, but Nabiki proved elusive as she curled around his assault and counted with an Amaguriken, then dropped back down to the ground before Dimitri could fully recover.

"Yes," Dimitri smiled as he rubbed his bloodied chin and licked the back of his hand clean, hovering in the air as he looked down with menacing glee, "This battle will be all that I had hoped it will be. I..."

All at once Ranma's foot connected with his chin, catching Dimitri by surprise as he had not been prepared for a second assault from his direction.

"Ranma!" Nabiki called out, "What are you doing?"

"You want to pick a fight, fight me!" Ranma snarled, as he pounded Dimitri with a thousand blows in mid-air, then retreated to the ground again, assuming a defensive crouch as he brought his hands together and concentrated before unleashing a Mako Takabishi. Dimitri barely got his cape up in time to deflect the brunt of the powerful Chi-blast.

"Oh dear," Kasumi remarked, "I didn't know that Ranma had mastered such a high-level attack."

"It's kind of a long story," Nabiki paused as she gave her older sister a quizzical look, "Um...Oneechan...do you know any special maneuvers?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Kasumi replied, then blinked her own surprised look and said, "You seem so...different, Nabiki-chan..."

"Right," Nabiki said, "Save that thought, I think we'll need our strength in another moment."

"Yes," Dimitri smiled as he remained hovering in the air, having shrugged off the worst effects of the Mako Takabishi, "This fight will be exceptional! Since you do not intend to respect the limits of fair play, then neither shall I. I will take you all on individually or as a group, but for now I wish to test the limits of your lovely wife, and you others are but a mere distraction. Raptor!"

The Zombie King appeared unexpectedly alongside Ranma, who had a moment of blind panic as the undead Rock Star entrapped him in a bone cage and started to soul-drain him.

Nabiki did not hesitate to break into a run, and with a flying leap she shattered the bones Raptor was using, scattering him about the Cemetery and thus freeing Ranma. The minute she stood alongside him, though, she was furious in venting her displeasure.

"Just what the hell did you think you were doing, Baka?" Nabiki yelled at him, "This is my fight you're butting into!"

"Your fight?" Ranma rounded on her, "Like hell it is! I had everything under control until you butted in and tried to hog the limelight! I don't care if you think you are me, I've been dealing with this kind of thing since I can remember!"

"What did you just say to me?" Nabiki was outraged, "Let me tell you, buster, this is my turn, and you don't talk to me like that in my own back yard! You may be hot stuff on your timeline, but..."

"Hey!" Talbain called out, pointing towards Dimitri, "Bad guy, remember?"

"Who are you?" Ranma and Nabiki chorused as they each took notice of the werewolf..

"Oh my," Kasumi said as Dimitri stood with a somewhat bemused expression, "I do hope you won't think badly of the way my sister is acting...she doesn't quite seem to be herself at the moment. In fact, I don't think I quite really know who she is myself..."

"Quite all right," Dimitri smiled, raising his cape again as his form shifted to assume the likeness of a gigantic demonic bat, and then his wings began to glow, "I know just how to regain their attention..."

"Haiiyaaa!" cried Akane as she landed a solid blow against the Vampire's chest, a blow that actually staggered the Demon and made him take notice. Unfortunately that was all the effect that her punch seemed to have, and as the horrific face looked down at her she had a sudden sense of her own vulnerability, to which she nervously said, "Um...or maybe not...?"

All at once a ribbon snagged around her waist and she was yanked to safety before Dimitri could react. Akane found herself deposited alongside Kodachi and a total stranger who looked something like the female version of Ranma.

"Are you all right, Akane-chan?" Kodachi asked with evident concern in her expression.

"Pretty gutsy move," the redhead remarked, "But you don't want to wind up like Kasumi, it might upset poor Ryo-chan."

"Ryo-chan?" Akane was about to ask who the redhead was since she could see Ranma standing plainly at the side of Nabiki when Ryoga was suddenly there beside her clutching her hands and looking into her eyes with obvious emotion.

"Akane," he said as he looked deep into her brown eyes, "I-I..."

"This constant stream of continuous interruptions is beginning to bore me," Dimitri said when he found Kasumi standing before him once again, "What do you want?"

"You were threatening my little sisters," Kasumi said, her fist glowing once again, "I'm afraid I can't allow that."

She threw her punch but the Vampire's hand intercepted it in spite of the power that she was manifesting. Dimitri smiled and said, "How delightful, but my power is the greatest that this world has ever seen!"

His whole arm suddenly lit up with the hellfires that he had manifested before and where his force collided with her own there was a sudden clash of opposing energies. He retained his hold upon her hand as Kasumi was forced to her knees, the fierce energy surrounding them both briefly illuminating the whole area, causing onlookers to flinch, including the reformed Raptor.

"Oy maties!" the Zombie King winced, "Looks like the boss man is pouring it on to impress the ladies."

"Kasumi!" Nabiki and Ranma called out as they saw the oldest Tendo daughter humbled by the fearsome vampire.

"Kasumi!" Soun wept openly, which was hardly novel in his case.

Dimitri relented as Kasumi collapsed at his feet, gloating in his triumph, "You are powerful indeed, but my power is by far the greater."

"We'll see about that," Kasumi managed to say, summoning up all the power that she could once again and thrusting forward at the nearest part of the Vampire that she could reach from her nearly prone position.

Dimitri's gargoyle grin suddenly took on a very different continence, and his outward form reverted to human with an expression that looked decidedly non-plussed, his eyes bulging and his mouth puckered up as though he were sucking on a lemon. His knees began to buckle and cross while Kasumi managed to roll out from underneath him and stagger her way to relative safety.

"Kasumi!" Nabiki's tone was suddenly livid with anger, her expression focused with tightly controlled rage while her hands shot out to her sides and she began to make sweeping motions in the air as if to summon up the totality of her power.

Ranma felt the hairs stand up on the nape of his neck and his pigtail stood on end while he turned to regard Nabiki with a look of genuine surprise. She was reaching out to grab at invisible lines of force, and all at once her hands cupped together to form claw-like grasping motions.

"You-!" Nabiki's voice suddenly resonated with life as her body began to glow with a powerful battle aura, "-HURT-" the power grew and intensified in her hands like a collapsing star, then exploded from her hands as she cried out, "MY BIG SISTER!"

The blast shot from Nabiki to strike Dimitri full in the chest and all at once the Vampire was not standing there any more, not that anyone was able to tell for the next several seconds. When the flash died and the sonic boom dissipated, allowing them to turn and look again they found a cone of destruction radiating out to the limits of the graveyard and beyond it. In that wake of destruction there was...nothing, not a single object remained standing, not a gravesite or a marker. The silence was almost deafening as everyone turned to stare at Nabiki, who wavered on her feet for a moment until Ranma offered her a hand to help steady her balance.

"Wow," Aiko remarked, "She disintegrated the bastard."

"Not quite," Beatrice replied, "My helmet sensors indicate that he was knocked five-point-two kilometers by the blast and is currently motionless.

"Nice shot, big sister," said Kurumi happily.

"Not too shabby," Talbain remarked, "That he had coming."

"What was that?" asked Ranma.

"I'm not sure exactly what to call it," Nabiki said a bit more softly than usual, "It's just something I learned from Master Happosai..."

As if on cue the pervert sprang up and said, "I'm here! Now where's that party-pooping Dimitri at? I got all my latest vampire slaying equipment and..."

"Oh, bugger off," Cologne said tiredly, giving Nabiki a proud smile as she added, "Good one, my child. He'll be feeling that into his next three incarnations."

"And of course you didn't feel the need to intervene yourself, Elder?" Nabiki asked with a weary smile.

"I was prepared to act in the event that you could not handle yourselves," Cologne replied, "But once I saw the real you had been restored I knew that everything would work out for the better."

"Eh," Raptor frowned, "What about me?" Y'ain't dealt with a real live man 'afore..."

"You saw what she just did," Talbain reminded, "Do you really want to start something?"

There was a slight pause before the Zombie King said, "Fair point, 'sides which it seems like some of your friends've decided to finally show up, which is my cue to make meself scarce. Ciao!

He dissolved into a pile of bones that vanished into the earth just as other figures began to crowd in from all directions.

There was a swirl of color and light, and then a blue skinned girl with enormous arm-like wings in Chinese dress appeared, looking around with a puzzled expression before she said, "Bummer, did we miss it?"

"What happened here?" a terrifying figure demanded to know looking like a Samurai in a strangely repulsive set of armor, his face a demon mask as he flashed a sword much larger than a standard katana, "Has that scum Raptor been making himself a nuisance yet again?"

"You guys just missed him," Talbain replied even as a tall figure garbed as a wandering holy man strode into the clearing with a smaller form trotting along at his side, "As for Dimitri, went that way," he pointed a paw in the same direction of a blast damage.

"Dimitri," the tall man said with very little discernable emotion, turning to look at the even less emotional small girl near his bare feet who was clutching a headless doll to her bosom.

A familiar roar heralded yet another strange arrival as an oversized motorcycle and driver appeared, rolling over land obstacles to park up close to the group before killing the engine and dismounting. He pulled off his goggles, looked around and said, "Are we too late for the party?"

"Doctor Steinberg, as I live and breathe," Nabiki smiled, "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"They were supposed to be my backup," Talbain glared accusingly at the others, "Only it looks like you guys took a wrong turn somewhere."

"Ah, don't get your fur ruffled," said a cat with blue fur, which a moment later transformed into a human-sized girl with long ears and a tail, which same made Perfume pay more attention, "It's not like we wanted you to hog all the fun, fur-face."

"A CAT!" Nabiki, Ranma and Kasumi all reacted in chorus, turning to flee in the opposite directions.

"Huh?" the cat-girl asked as she looked around to see the three retreating martial artists.

"What got into them?" the blue-skinned Chinese girl asked.

"You wouldn't believe it if we told you," sighed Beatrice, "Alison?"

"Right," nodded Aiko as she sighed, "I'll go round up the kitties," and with that she started to chase after the terrified trio...

Dimitri gasped, coming to with a sense that he had just survived being blasted out of a humungous cannon. He ached all over, but that would pass in due time. He was more impressed at discovering just how powerful the Tendo girl really was, powerful enough to make him realize that he had a ways to go before he truly would become the greatest of all powers.

"Incredible," he remarked, attempting to sit up so that he might renew his quest to absorb the girl's vital energy. The attempt convinced him that he should lay still and relax so that he might heal a bit more before attempting it again. In fact going to sleep seemed like a perfectly logical thing, and he was too numb to even hope that his enemies would not find him in this state, unable to defend himself. He would be better in a while, and then he could go about plotting his enemies' destruction.

Raptor appeared a moment after he shut his eyes and went to sleep, and the Zombie said, "Boss...you okay? That Sheila sure knocked you for a loop and...Boss? Are you really out of it or just faking?"

When several more attempts to get Dimitri's attention failed the Zombie rocker smiled to himself and pulled out a marker pen, saying, "No offense, Boss, but I've always wanted to do this..."

Continued.

Comments/Criticism/Can I wind this up in One chapter? Shadowmaner

Now that the worst is over, how will the balance be restored and Kasumi returned to her loving family as the girl we all remember? See how the author digs himself out of this one next time...be there!


	4. Chapter 4

DnabikiTT4

By

Jim Robert Bader

(Based on the Works of Rumiko Takahashi & Others)

Part Four.

Everyone who rushed into her room at the sound of Nabiki's scream was struck by the way that the middle Tendo daughter was behaving, huddled in one corner with the blankets drawn up around herself, shivering as if she had seen a ghost, or something even more unearthly.

"Nabiki, what is it?" her father asked, "Is something wrong? Did something frighten you?"

Nabiki glanced around at the now illuminated room as if expecting the walls to attack her, then she tried to sit upright and compose herself as best she was able.

"Aw geez," Ranma sniffed, "Don't tell me you had some kind of nightmare or something. The way you screamed just now we thought you were being murdered."

Akane thwapped Ranma on the shoulder and said, "Don't talk to her that way, you insensitive jerk! Can't you tell she's been terrified?"

"Yeah?" Ranma asked, "By what? Did you dream the Tokyo stock market fell by another fifty points or something?"

"What is it, Nabiki,?" Nodoka asked gently as she knelt down beside the young girl with a kindly expression, "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to..."

"Ah-no, Auntie," Nabiki started to say, then caught the slight crack in her voice and cleared her throat before continuing, "It's like Ranma said, I just had a bad nightmare. It's nothing, really."

"Nothing?" Genma asked skeptically, glancing towards the nearest window, which was slightly ajar as if it had been opened and closed in a great hurry.

Unnoticed by these others, the wolf known as Ryoukio sniffed her nose and detected a distinct scent that was more than slightly familiar. Heeding her instincts the wolf trotted off and headed for the stairs, intending to heat up some water in the kitchen while everyone else was so distracted...

Kasumi was not quite certain what exactly had happened when she saw Nabiki wake up and begin screaming. It had been an instinctive thing, the product of her sudden embarrassment at being found in her sister's room without an adequate explanation, coupled with a desire for flight that was compounded by noises from down the hall, resulting in her doing...something by sheer reflex.

It was very curious, really...one moment she was standing over her sister's bed, the next she was hovering in the air like a cloud of mist, invisible to the senses though she could see and hear everything around her with perfect clarity, including her now greatly enhanced night vision. She found that she could move simply by willing herself to drift in a given direction, and by turns she discovered that the window to Nabiki's room was partially ajar, just enough of a crack for her to somehow slip through.

Kasumi had been struck by the fact that her body seemed perfectly normal to her perspective, as if she really was detached from everything around her, leaving only her barest shadow. Once she was over the roof, however, she found that she was drifting a little too far out into open space due to a faint breeze that she could perceive with her heightened perceptions, but by exerting her will once again she was able to correct this, then hovered a moment above her house until she figured out some way to return herself to normal.

It was like discovering a light switch, she just thought herself heavy and she landed on the roof barefoot. Her toes found it easy to cling to the roof tiles, so she was able to settle herself down comfortably there while she tried to make sense of what all had just happened.

Despite appearances of being detached from reality, Kasumi had a readily able mind and could devote herself to studying a problem when it came to her attention. She was also a devout reader of romance Manga novels, enjoying the guilty sin of a Gothic story, which sometimes ranged into the realm of horror literature. She was also well aware of the legends concerning Vampire and the abilities that they were said to possess, one of which was the ability to turn into mist at will, so she theorized that this might be what had happened.

Only that thought brought her squarely back to the problem that now faced her. She was a Vampire, an undead creature of the night, a soulless monster who lived upon the blood of the innocent and slept by day in a coffin...only there seemed to be a lot more to it than she could remember. Thinking as empirically as she could she dismissed the coffin part since she was Japanese and her people believed in cremation. She did not feel particularly soul-less, nor did she believe that she was truly a monster as she had not meant to deliberately upset or threaten her sister just now. In point of fact she did feel an odd sort of hunger, but that could just be the fact that she had not eaten anything in the past several hours. As for being undead, well...she was pretty certain that she had not really died, and her friends had seemed to think that her condition was reversible, so there might not be any reason to despair and she only had to figure out where she was and why everything seemed so different about her household.

Take Nabiki's room, she reasoned, it was not the aesthetic austerity that her sister and Shampoo lived in, it had all the appearances of being a perfectly normal young girl's room. Then there was the strange way that Nabiki herself had acted, as if terrified by the very sight of her, which certainly could not be the case if this were the Nabiki whom Kasumi had been secretly in lust with for close to a year. She began to wonder if pouring water on this Nabiki would trigger any sort of change, or if it would just leave her younger sister slightly soggy and much less happy.

Thoughts of the handsome Kaneda floated into her minds and briefly warmed Kasumi's breast with unfulfilled desires not extended towards anyone in her young life. She sighed, and in doing so became aware of the fact that she had barely been breathing at all for the past quarter of an hour.

Okay, she decided, so it would be better not to be thinking like that until she could get back to the others and have them undo whatever sort of curse was upon her. That prompted her to wonder how she had gotten from the graveyard to Nabiki's bedchamber in the first place, which finally confirmed in her mind that this was not the world she knew, nor was the house she was resting atop the same home that she had grown up in.

She glanced down at the Nanban Mirror, which she had been holding onto the whole time, then stared at the reflection which did not catch her own image. Obviously this was not her world, she had somehow been exchanged with the Kasumi of a different timeline, must as Nabiki had been exchanged with that weaker version of herself. It was just as obvious that Kasumi had to reverse the process, but how to do this without the full cooperation of her counterpart? Could she induce herself to cry again? That seemed to be what had triggered it the last time...

All at once a sharp object struck the handle of the mirror and knocked it out of her grasp, followed by two more metal blades that whizzed past her head and brought Kasumi around to full attention.

"So!" declared a weird version of Ukyo who had oddly discolored hair, which Kasumi might have mistaken for Shampoo's lavender hair but for the weird way that the moonlight made her seem more pink than purple, "You finally show your true colors! I might have guessed you'd try to sneak into that poor girl's room and seduce her...your own sister!"

"Ukyo?" Kasumi asked in puzzlement, wondering why her friend was behaving in such a totally hostile manner.

The shocking pink-haired Okonomiyaki Chef unslung her bakers peel and stood in combat readiness, then snarled, "I've finally caught you red-handed! Now I can show Ranma how evil you really are! Defend yourself and prepare to get flattened!"

Kasumi stood up and tried to make a peaceful gesture to the enraged Ukyo with her bare hands, but before she could say anything the electric pink haired girl leaped forward to attack her. Kasumi's instinct for self-preservation came to her service once again as she stepped back and away from the swipe by the iron spatula, but as she did so something else occurred to her for Ukyo seemed to be moving much, much slower than normal. Her attack came with the speed of slightly tepid molasses.

Kasumi had no trouble stepping to the side and well out of danger when everything seemed to return to normal as Ukyo went staggered forward, then caught herself and looked around in some confusion. Seeing Kasumi standing to one side she snarled and attacked again, but once more Kasumi found it easy to dodge her even though she knew perfectly well that Ukyo's speed should have well exceeded her own by a long measure.

Ukyo seemed confused as she reoriented on Kasumi once again, her eyes narrowing and she hissed, "You're faster than ever. Obviously you've been working out a lot more than I thought."

"Ukyo," Kasumi said, "What is this all about? What have I done to upset you so much? I don't recall our being enemies, in fact, you've always been very kind whenever you help me out in the kitchen."

"What kind of game are you playing, Tendo?" Ukyo growled, "Whatever it is you won't get away with it, by the Kami!"

She came at Kasumi once again, but now the eldest Tendo daughter decided to take a firmer stance in the matter and moved forward to intercept her. With her speed now increased to the point where Ukyo appeared to be moving in slow motion she was able to catch her by the wrists and halt the bakers peel in mid-swipe. Since her strength seemed to be vastly improved also, she was able to fully immobilize Ukyo using a few simple techniques that she had studied in her childhood. Ukyo struggled as best she could but for all her considerable strength she was like a child wrestling against the might of a vampire.

"Please stop fighting me, Ukyo," Kasumi pleaded, "I don't want you to get hurt..."

"Yeah, right!" Ukyo snarled in frustration, turning to glare at the taller girl as she prepared to spit into her face when the two of them made eye contact.

Without warning Ukyo stiffened, then relaxed, her eyes locked with Kasumi as the eldest Tendo girl somehow compelled her to cease her efforts.

"Thank you," Kasumi sighed without releasing her hold on Ukyo, "I'm very sorry if you thought I had any...improper intentions upon my sister. It was purely an accident, I wound up in her room and...well, I really didn't mean to frighten her. You have to believe me."

Ukyo said nothing but just continued to look at Kasumi with the same oddly fixated expression.

"I am not your enemy, Ukyo," Kasumi continued, "I have always tried to be your friend, and whatever else you may think of me you should try to believe that. I would never deliberately harm you or any other person."

Still Ukyo said nothing, just continued to stare with the same odd fascination.

Sensing that the moment of danger was past, Kasumi released her grip on Ukyo's wrists, only to see the other woman's arms fall limply to her sides as the baker's peel landed on the roof with a clatter. Kasumi risked a smile, hoping that Ukyo would smile as well, but the girl before her just continued to look blankly her way. It slowly began to dawn on Kasumi that this was not a normal situation, even by the strained definition of normality to which she was accustomed from living in Nerima.

"Oh my," she said, "Ukyo? Do you hear me?"

"Yes," came the faintly coherent reply, "I hear you."

"Oh, well..." Kasumi hesitated again, then another thought occurred to her, "Are you hypnotized? Oh my...I didn't know that I could do that."

Ukyo did not immediately answered, but she furrowed her brow for a second before saying, "I hear you."

"Hmmm," Kasumi mused with a thoughtful tone, "Well, it wouldn't be right to leave you like that. On the other hand it certainly isn't in my best interest to have you attacking me again. Oh my...what do to? I wish Nabiki were here...she always has such logical answers to these questions..."

The shocking pink haired girl just continued to stare blankly ahead, not focused on anything as though she were day dreaming. Kasumi sighed again when she noticed something peculiar about the other girl. Ukyo was remaining balanced on the balls of her feet without effort, but there was a slight sway in her movements that-for some strange reason-Kasumi found oddly fascinating.

"Oh my," she mused, "I never really noticed it before, but your hair...it's such a beautiful color."

Ukyo said nothing, just continued to gaze forward.

"In fact," Kasumi realized, "You are a very pretty young girl, if only you dressed more like a lady. I never took the time to pay attention, but in a lot of ways you remind me of Nabiki."

Ukyo still said nothing and just continued to gaze forward.

"Nabiki," Kasumi's breath caught on the word, "Imotochan...my beautiful, brave younger sister...how I miss her so much, even if she's only been gone for a couple of hours. I do hope we can find a way to bring her back, things just are not right without her."

Ukyo's silence remained steadfast, though there was the faintest twitch of an eyebrow.

Kasumi leaned closer, "I hope this doesn't last. You know, I've never really thought what it would be like to be a Vampire. I thought it would be so unreal, yet somehow it is very real, just like you are...so handsome, such a lovely face, so warm and vibrant...full of life...of life..." she glanced down at Ukyo's throat and said, "Such a lovely neck. Oh my...I do hope this is not...I mean...I wouldn't want to impose... this is so...so...strange..."

Ukyo's brows became slightly furrowed as Kasumi leaned close enough to brush their cheeks together, then started to drift down as if to nuzzle her ear. Ukyo was starting to come out of it when she felt a slight nip along the side of her neck, which produced a warm sensation that was erotic and dreamy...

And then Ranma's voice called out, "Hey, what's going on up here-huh?"

"R-Ranma?" Ukyo found that name leant her strength that she did not formerly possess, and all at once she realized who it was who was giving her that hickey. With a sudden burst of effort she pried Kasumi off her and shoved her away, snarling, "Get your hands off me you damned...Hentai?"

Kasumi was suddenly quite chastened as she came back to full awareness of her own actions. She blinked her eyes at Ranma, then at Ukyo, then noticed a salty tang on her tongue and at once touched her lips with one hand, pulling it away to find blood upon her fingers. She stared at this as if it were a wholly alien substance.

Ukyo felt the bite mark on her own neck with a hand then stared at the blood on the lips and fingers of the older girl, and then she snarled as she reached down to retrieve her baker's peel and hissed, "You damned VAMPIRE!"

Kasumi recovered from her mortified surprise in time to step back out of reach of the spatula, which was a good thing as it would have taken her head off had she remained immobile. Unfortunately this meant going well beyond the extent of the roof, which caused Kasumi a brief moment of panic as she found her feet dangling over empty space. She windmilled her arms and tried to will herself to turn back into mist but instead found her momentum was halted before she had time to fall more than a couple of meters. All at once she was hovering once again, drifting on invisible currents held aloft by the force of her will as she floated out beyond the walls to her family dojo.

"What the heck was that all about?" Ranma asked as he saw what looked like Kasumi vanishing into the night as though carried off by invisible wires.

"Did you see?" Ukyo pointed to her neck, then at the vanishing figure in the moonlight, "She's turned into a real monster, Ranchan! See here? She bit me!"

"Calm down," Ranma urged, "You're not making sense. What was that all about anyway? Was she really a vampire?"

"That was Kasumi!" Ukyo almost shouted in his face, "Didn't you see the way her eyes glowed?"

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "Kasumi? No way! That couldn't have been her, no matter what else she looked like or was doing."

"Why not?" Ukyo felt tremendously frustrated at her inability to make Ranma see his iinazuke for the evil creature that Ukyo knew her to be. He was far too trusting and good natured for his own sake, and even presented with incontrovertible evidence he still seemed to take the stance that Kasumi could never do anything wrong or be anything evil.

"Well," Ranma said with a lopsided smile, "For one thing she was wearing a dress. When's the last time you've seen Kasumi do that?"

"Huh?" Ukyo blinked, then started to think about it.

"With her curse the last thing she'd want to do would be seen wearing something that feminine," Ranma turned Ukyo's head to one side and studied the bite mark. He winced then said, "Ouch! That looks nasty! We'd better get you over to Doctor Tofu so he can do something about that. Like I was saying, that couldn't have been Kasumi, it must have been some other creature that just looked a lot like her."

"How can you be so sure, Ranma?" Ukyo felt herself growing warm and mushy at the attention he was paying her, which made it hard for her to stay focused on her anger.

"I just am," Ranma replied, taking her by the hand as he said more reassuringly, "But just in case we can call up the restaurant to see if Kasumi's there. It's kind of late, but I'm sure Shampoo won't mind too much if we tell her it's about Kasumi."

"R-Ranma..." Ukyo found herself once again suffering from her habitual tongue-tied status that always hit whenever she tried to tell him about her feelings towards him. Fortunately this time Ranma supplied his own details as he said, "By the way, what were you doing up here on our roof? I heard a noise and decided to investigate, only I find you with that, um...girl...and I think maybe I've seen something I shouldn't ought to if it was supposed to be private..."

It took a moment for Ukyo to realize what he was implying, and then her eyes went wide and she cried, "No...it wasn't like that...!"

"I guess not," Ranma relaxed a little then added, "Looked more like you were trying to defend our house against that Vampire...or whatever it was. You can sure be really gutsy when you want to be, Ucchan. Now come on, we got to take you to see Tofu Sensei."

Ukyo would have sworn it was her cursed form affecting her thinking but she suddenly had an urge to wag her tail as butterflies played tag with the insides of her stomach...

"So let me get this straight," said Frank as he leaned against the huge motorcycle that he affectionately referred to as "The Monster," "You got switched with a counterpart on a different timeframe, one where you aren't a martial artist, but loverboy here is the heir apparent to your family's system?"

"That's more or less correct," Nabiki replied, "It was an odd place where everything was topsy turvy and people were looking at me strangely because I wanted to kick butt rather than sit back on the sidelines."

"Weird," Frank turned to regard the alternate universe versions of Ranma and Akane, who were just then trying to sort themselves out with the differences between their world and this one, "But not without precedent. It's been known to happen now and again that counterparts get switched around, and from the looks of things that Magic Mirror thingie must be an artifact of great power, just the sort of thing you love to get your hands on, Happy."

"Well hey," Happosai remarked, "Everybody needs a hobby, and at my age a guy likes to travel, which is what the Nanban mirror was originally meant for."

"Which is why you stole it from me all those years ago," Cologne glared his way, then went back to smoking on her pipe as she added in a calm and reasonable voice, "Of course I would have given it to you if you had asked. It had been in my family for countless generations, but we never did find it all that useful. You can only get someplace by using tears as an activating component."

"Oh my," said Kasumi as she stared down at the mirror in her lap, "Then how am I supposed to be getting home? I don't want to be stuck here, even if you people do seem to be even nicer than my family back home. I have commitments to Shampoo and the others that I want to live up to, and I'm sure this other Kasumi will want to be restored to her own family, especially since she has that problem you've just mentioned."

"Vampirism," Beatrice nodded, "It is imperative that we summon her back while there is still time to effect a cure, because the longer our Kasumi spends in Vampiric form the more difficult it will be to uncurse her."

"I know all about curses," Nabiki sniffed, "Believe me, I wouldn't want my older sister stuck with one, especially of this nature. So how do we get everyone back to where they were going? My return was effected by tears, but it seems in the process I accidentally dragged along with this other version of Akane and Ranchan."

She gazed at where said Ranma and Akane were both having a discussion with other members of the Posse and seemed to be having a difficult time wrapping their minds around the alternate versions facing them of Tatawaki and Kodachi Kuno.

"Yes, Ranma and I have been friends for many years," said Tatawaki calmly, "We met when I was ten and in sore need of a bosom companion. We fought, I lost, then we made up afterwards and he has since been at my side through thick and thin, always ready to lend his support when the demons in my soul should torment me."

Natsume laid a hand on his arm and smiled at him affectionately, to which Tatawaki smiled back, albeit in a shy and hesitant fashion. Ranma was not sure what had stunned him more, to learn that Kuno had a girlfriend or that this version of him seemed to be a fairly likeable and almost normal person.

Akane was having the same problem getting over the way Kodachi kept smiling at her and mentioning things that she would have sworn she had shared with no other living person. The redhead who was always at Kodachi's arm was a friendly and gregarious sort, but there seemed to be an intimacy there as well that went beyond simple friendship. Moreover they both gave Akane teasing comments that were making her feel more than slightly uneasy.

But the worst by far for her was the discovery that her counterpart was engaged to Ryoga. The scary thing was just how normal Ryoga acted when compared to what she knew, hardly in any discernable way the lonely manic depressive that she knew only as a friend, a different sort from the perpetually lost boy whom Akane considered as no more than a sometime ready ally. This Ryoga shot the same nervous glances her way, made the same funny laugh whenever she asked him a question, but in most other ways was kind, calm and warmly supportive. If Kodachi and Tatawaki Kuno were disturbing for being different, Ryoga was even more disturbing just for being much the same, yet shyly smiling whenever anyone referred to him as her iinazuke.

"Really, Ryo-chan," Kodachi teased at one such moment, "You'll make our guest here blush if you carry on like that. Forgive him for being so forward, dear Akane-chan, he must really be a sweet boy to only think the best of your welfare, even if you are not the Akane that we remember."

"Uh...sure," Akane turned to Kodachi, giving the redheaded Keiko a glance before saying, "So how long have we been best friends here?"

"About seven years, three months, six days, fourteen hours and thirty-eight minutes," Kodachi said with a wink, "Just kidding about the thirty-eight minutes. Actually, you were the one who reached out the hand to me when I was suffering in silence over my mother. You were the light in my day, the one who kept me from the shadows. I may have been beset with madness in my time, but I never ceased being grateful for having you for my friend. I suppose it is different for my counterpart in your world?"

"Ah...yes, you could say that," Akane said with distinct hesitation.

Kodachi looked down and for a moment it appeared as if there were tears in her eyes before she spoke again, "It...is a hard thing to admit, but being my friend was not always easy for you. For the longest time I was...not fully in possession of all of my faculties. The madness that obsessed me was, in part, drug induced, but I fear on a darker level that it is the curse of my family to be...prone to histrionics. At times it might have seemed that my whole day was a bleak attempt to stave off the shadows, but for the light offered me by my two friends," she gripped Keiko's hand tightly, then snagged Akane's and held if firmly before looking her in the eyes and saying, "For that I thank you."

"And I," said Tatawaki as he turned to regard them both, "Wish also to offer my heartfelt apologies if my counterpart in your world was anything like I once was. I confess that I hounded and beset the Akane of this world with my unwanted affections, and for this I am deeply remorseful. Were it not for the kindness of a gentle spirit who nursed me through my darkest hours...I might never have known real recovery from my sorrows."

He held Natsume's hand, and the tall girl's face all but shone with her affection. Tatawaki turned to lose himself in her eyes and for the moment no one else in the world seemed to exist but these two to each other. About the only one present who did not seem to appreciate this gesture was Kurumi, who pointedly glanced away before giving Mousse an uneasy glance of her own, which the Chinese boy hesitantly met for all of one half second.

Ranma had to force himself to look away, but when he did he found Kodachi's eyes looking at him in amusement. Inwardly he cringed, but instead of her trademark laugh what the Black Rose said was, "Do I detect a note of hesitation in our young Saotome-san? Things must indeed be very different in your world if I inspire such emotions within you. The Ranma I have known was pathetically enamored of me, to which I paid him no kindness, and for that I am most deeply apologetic."

"Uh...okay," Ranma said with a dubious expression before he turned to regard Arigami Keiko, "The thing I want to know is...why do you look so much like me in my cursed form?"

"Your cursed form?" Keiko asked with arched eyebrows, "Like how?"

Ranma just sighed and asked, "Anybody have some water?"

"Allow me," said Mousse, who pulled a flask out of the folds of his shirt then paused when several people glared at him, including Kodachi, "It's not cursed water, just plain tap, honest."

"Never mind," Ranma said as he accepted the flask then dumped the contents on his head and triggered his transformation.

There were gasps from all around as Ranma became a shorter and more compact version of Arigami Keiko. Keiko was the most affected, leaning forward as if to study him better, then with a shake of her head she said, "Weird..."

"They seem to be getting along well enough," remarked Aiko, "From the way he was acting you'd think that Ranma was expecting these guys to pound him into a puddle."

"Probably because where he comes from he's pretty much isolated," Nabiki observed, "My impression of his world was that Ranma has a pretty tough time of it with everybody always seeking to either kill him or marry him, and in a few cases a little of both."

"I know what that's like," murmured Frank, who frowned when he saw the looks turned in his direction, "What?"

Aiko glanced at her silverhaired companion once again and said, "Hey, Beiko...you used to be engaged to the guy. What do you make of all these rival engagements?"

"I would say that the lad suffers a bit from too much meddlesome parental influence," Beatrice replied before rolling her eyes and adding, "A subject upon which I could well do a term thesis..."

John Talbain shook his furry head and said, "I never thought I'd say this, but you kids almost make my life look tame and rational."

"Be nice, fang-face," said Tsien-Ko, the blue skinned Chinese Vampire (or so she styled herself, to which several persons present kept eyeing her with wary expressions), "They're just kids, and it's not like it's been that long since you were a puppy. It's been centuries for me and I still remember what it was like to go through those awkward teenaged years."

"Oh, like they threw proms in the middle of the Bronze Age?" teased the blue-haired Felicia (who was pointedly standing downwind of Nabiki and Kasumi and out of their direct line of sight conversing with Perfume, with whom she was enjoying a stirring conversation).

"Easy there, Kitty," Frank warned, noticing the way the two Tendo sisters involuntarily shuddered, "I think we should stick to the original program of sending Miss Tendo here back to where she belongs so that we can help the other Kasumi regain her humanity. Tsien-Ko, Donovan, you're our resident experts on the occult. Think you can help her to do this?"

Nabiki and Kasumi turned to regard the very tall man standing apart from the others, the one dressed like a wandering priest and carrying a humungously big sword that was nearly as large as himself across his backside. This fellow never seemed to smile (save when he regarded the silent child standing attentively at his side) and had been quietly conversing with the demonic Bishoman, the undead Samurai with the horrible gargoyle features, but now he turned his focus back their way as if anticipating the question and replied, "It's possible...we could effect the transference, provided we can establish a link with the Kasumi Tendo who has passed beyond the threshold of this world."

"Geez Louise," snorted Tsien-Ko, "Can't you ever just come out and say anything in a simple yes or no, Donovan? He's right, though...like he said, we need to find the other Kasumi to establish a link at her end."

"And how do we do that?" Kasumi asked when a telltale rumble caused everyone to turn their eyes skyward.

"Oh bugger," Nabiki sniffed as the first few drops of rain began to fall upon her head, and in a few moments it came pouring down in earnest, triggering her transformation, along with everyone else who was not currently sheltered.

"Excuse my asking a really dumb question," Talbain groused, "But does the weather here always change like this without any warning?"

"What makes you say that?" asked Nabiki-kun before he exchanged non-plussed looks with the tall man who was now sitting at his side in the place of his sister, "Oneechan?"

"Imotochan?" that fellow asked, and Nabiki could not help noticing that this fellow was a real heartthrob with looks that belonged on the cover of a romance Manga.

Ranma-chan had felt a brief smugness over having for once beat out the rain, which same turned to blanket surprise as Kodachi and Keiko were replaced by a Vulture and a black-furred ferret. Mousse's billowing robes were now draped over the body of an ape while Kurumi merely sighed and gave him a look of mild exasperation. He looked back at her with what-on an ape-was a sheepish expression.

Meanwhile Felicia was recovering from the sudden transformation that Perfume was experiencing, but with a thought she was able to join her at kitten size, which made the surprise a mutual engagement.

Suddenly the rain stopped falling on their heads without stopping altogether. It was as if an invisible umbrella had opened up for them, and only after a moment of mutual surprise the discovery was made that their benefactor was the silent child with the headless dolly.

"Thank you, Anita," said Donovan as he touched her small shoulders with one of his huge hands, "As I was saying, we need to wait for the precise moment when the portal opens at the other end, in which case we may safely send Tendo Kasumi to her proper dimension."

"And how long could that take?" rumbled the monstrous Bishoman.

"It is difficult to judge without more knowledge," Donavan turned to the now-male Kasumi, "Tell us, Tendo-san, what you were doing at the moment you last recall being on your proper timeline?"

"Ah..." Kasumi-kun replied somewhat awkwardly, "Well...if you must know the truth, I was in my sister's bedroom..."

"You were?" Nabiki-kun blinked, "Why is that?"

"Ah," Kasumi-kun replied with clear hesitation, "I...snuck into your room to take the Nanban mirror away from her, Neechan. Elder Cologne had warned me that the mirror held great power and was dangerous, but Nabiki seemed to think it held monetary value, and since she wouldn't discuss it with me when I asked her..."

"She wouldn't?" Nabiki-kun blinked, "I mean, I wouldn't? Why not?"

"I don't really know," Kasumi-kun replied with a slight frown, "Ever since I came back from my training mission my little sister has acted very odd around me, especially when I am in male form. I think I must upset her somehow, not that I can very much blame her. It must be difficult to admit being related to someone who looks like...this," Kasumi-kun looked down at himself sadly, "Let alone admit to being my sister."

Nabiki-kun did a remarkable job of keeping a straight face, even though her inward reaction was to measure her own responses against what this other Nabiki must be feeling. The male Kasumi before her was absolutely drop-dead gorgeous and a hunk in every sense, and had it not been for her knowledge of what the curse was like Nabiki might have openly flirted to get the attention of such a perfect specimen as this. It was the first time in her life that she had some honest sense of what it had to be like for other girls being in Nabiki-kun's presence!

A good thing he was sitting down, though, as the bulge in his pants was not being caused by his wallet!

"So," Frank remarked, "You were trying to take the Nanban mirror away from your sister by other means than straight diplomacy. I'm not judging you or anything, I might even do the same in your place, but if the other Kasumi wound up where you were standing..."

"Kami-sama," Kasumi-kun whispered, "Oh my...I do hope she didn't upset Nabiki-chan too much. Oh, how dreadful!"

"I just hope she didn't decide to make a late-night snack out of your sister," Talbain groused, then winced as one of Tsien-Ko's wings batted him slightly, "What?"

"Mister Sensitivity," the Chinese Vampire snorted, "For your information we're not all like Dimitri Maximoff. Some of us are perfectly reasonable people who try to get along with regular humans and don't jump at every chance to make a meal out of their necks. I'm living proof that you can be a Vampire and still be a productive member of society, so watch what you say or I'll start cracking jokes about Werewolves."

"Whatever you say," Nabiki-kun said nervously, "I just want my sister back. I know life hasn't been all that easy for her of late, but it's really not her fault and I've always hoped that we could work through this...uh...little problem she has about me..."

"Oh?" Kasumi-kun turned to look at her in surprise, "You don't get along very well either? Why is that?"

"Ah..." Nabiki-kun paused before saying, "Let's just say we like each other...only in her case a little too much so. She, uh...kind of has a crush on my guy-form."

"Oh," Kasumi-kun replied, then blinked, "Oh? Oh...oh my...oh my...on my..."

"Give the other me the benefit of the doubt when you see her, Oneechan," Nabiki-kun tactfully urged, "You two probably just need to talk this out, and if you do that...well...I think you'll find that she really doesn't dislike you, which may be her entire problem."

Kasumi started to think that one over when she noticed a gleam that appeared within the mirror in her lap. She held it up for closer inspection then said, "Oh my...is it supposed to do that?"

Frank leaned closer then said, "Donovan?"

"It is the moment we have been awaiting," Donovan said, then raised one hand and began ritually chanting...

Kasumi finally found a place to set herself down to make sense of her situation. This levitation was proving to be more taxing than traveling in mist form, and even granted the vitality she had absorbed from her taste of Ukyo's blood she still lacked the energy to go much farther than a few blocks before needing to rest.

Being a Vampire was certainly more work than she would have anticipated, yet the thrill of being able to fly was certainly like nothing that she would have anticipated. It also puzzled her how she was able to move so fast that Ukyo-arguably a powerful martial artist-was unable to lay a spatula on her, or perhaps it just seemed as if she were moving faster. Maybe it was just an illusion, such as if she made Ukyo move slower than usual, or Kasumi had gained some strange ability to manipulate the flow of time so that Ukyo moved at her normal speed while Kasumi moved outside the normal time rate. At least that was something she had read in a book once by an American author, and it seemed the best explanation for what had happened.

Of course this also presented her with a considerable problem. If she were a creature of the night, then the touch of sunlight was dangerous to her, garlic would be something to definitely avoid and she might have a serious problem combing her hair in the morning before a bathroom mirror. Then there was the thing about drinking blood...that simply did not appeal to her in any way. She might also find holy places like shrines and temples difficult to manage, and that was not even dealing with her personal life and how it would affect the rest of her family when she got back, and what must they be thinking about her at this very moment?

Her family, how much she wanted to be back home right now, to pretend that none of this had ever happened! Even given the unhappiness she felt whenever she thought of Nabiki...and how unobtainable were her desires for the male form of her younger sister...she still had a live that she very much wanted to resume, and this being a Vampire was likely to make things even more difficult back home. Suppose she could never again do morning chores? Her whole routine would be thrown into disarray, and as for any thoughts of returning to schoolwork one day and becoming either a nurse or a doctor...

She needed to get back home and for that she would need the Nanban mirror. Unfortunately she had lost possession of it during that fight with Kuonji, and if it had been damaged in the fall off the roof of her house...then she might never be able to get back home, and that would be the most perfectly awful capper for a day that so far had been most...inadvantageous...

She knew that she had to risk returning to her family home...or rather the home that belonged to this version of her family, and so she went on foot and crept on bare feet to the spot just beneath that section of the roof where she had been standing prior to Ukyo's assault. It took some time to find what she was after, but with her enhanced visual abilities it was almost as easy as searching by daylight. And...oddly enough...the mirror seemed to stand out against the background as though it had a strong heat signature, which she supposed might be the result of the strong enchantment that it possessed, but whatever the cause she was certainly glad to see that it was reasonably intact and had not been shattered by the fall.

It meant that she still had a hope of returning home to see her loved ones.

She held the Nanban mirror in both hands and stared into its reflective depths, once again failing to see her own face, and wondering if she would ever see her image cast in a mirror surface ever again. The thought of that, and her ardent desire to be restored to her loved ones, caused a tear to roll off her cheek and onto the mirror, and as this happened she saw the face of Nabiki appearing before her, which caused her to gasp as there was another Kasumi standing beside her, and then reality began to twist and distort once again and she once more found herself...elsewhere.

Or rather back in the graveyard, which was now occupied by a number of strange looking people, other than her family and friends, that is.

Meanwhile another Kasumi-kun now stood in the garden of his own ancestral house, looked around and realized that it was late and that he needed to get back to the San Chens Huang Restaurant that was his home along with Shampoo and Makoto. He had obtained the Nanban mirror as Cologne had asked...or perhaps the mirror he really had started out with, which meant that the transfer had been successful and he was back where he belonged in his own home dimension.

"Oh my," Kasumi-kun murmured aloud to himself, hoping that his cross-dimensional sister had not been too busy during her absence. He could only wonder what might have happened had the other version of herself been detected by Nabiki in her bedroom in the middle of the night. That would certainly stir up a fright and give Kasumi something to explain come the morning.

Nabiki...it was long since past time that Kasumi had a talk with his younger sister. All those times Nabiki had been avoiding her were starting to make sense now, and if Kasumi did not miss her guess this matter would eventually come to a crisis point between them unless some hasty intervention were affected.

Time enough to deal with that in the morning, however, at the moment he just wanted to get home to see Shampoo and Makoto, the former because of deep affection ties that had been building between them over the course of the last few months and the latter because he had come to value the other girl's company and friendship...and at the moment he very much needed a friend to talk to...very badly. In the case of Shampoo...

Well, that too would require some lengthy explanations, and no doubt his Amazon wife would be worried sick over his absence. All Kasumi-kun really knew for certain was that he was dreadfully tired and the last thing he needed to do was any more heavy thinking...

"So, this is your world, huh?" Ranma asked as he nodded to the Tendo compound, "Doesn't look too different from our home back in our Nerima, right Akane?"

"It's uncanny," Akane agreed with a slow study of their surroundings, "But...I do see a few differences, like over there, the tree over by the wash room? I don't see the mark we put there...remember that one we did when we were little?"

"Oh yeah," Ranma agreed, "The one that was supposed to show how fast we were growing. And where's the additions to the house that I helped Uncle Soun put in so mom would have a place to store food jars and stuff? Lots of little stuff is all wrong...guess this really is a different house than the one where we grew up, huh?"

"Uh...excuse me, Ranchan?" Ukyo asked.

"You talk as if this place you own, Ranma," Shampoo said in worried tones as if dreading that this version of her Airen might reflect badly on the Ranma she knew and loved.

"Heh, in a way I guess that's how I feel about the place," Ranma smiled, "I grew up there, it's been home to me for most of my life, and I've always known that I was gonna inherit the place after I married one of Uncle Soun's daughters. Of course at the time I thought it'd be you, Akane, but ever since your sister got back..."

"Yeah, lucky me," Akane grinned, "Imagine if I really had to go through with marrying you, baka? We'd probably spend the rest of our lives driving each other crazy."

"Yeah, no fooling," Ranma turned back and gave a nod towards the Nabiki who was watching them so carefully, then at Kasumi and said, "Hey, Oneechan...how's it hanging? Don't tell me you're engaged to some lucky guy here?"

"Oh my, what ever would you mean by that, Ranma-kun?" Kasumi asked in mild surprise, "I'm not engaged to anyone...at least, not that I know about anyway..."

"Huh, better watch yourself around here with the likes of someone like Genma about, Sugar," Ukyo snorted, "He's done it often enough behind Ranchan's back that there's almost a cottage industry lining up around the block."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo fervently agreed, rolling her eyes as she added, "Just ask Nabiki, she know all about it."

"Ah..." Nabiki winced, not wanting to get dragged onto that particular topic...

"Hey, that ain't too far fetched considering the girls my Pop's engaged me to besides Nabiki and Ucchan," Ranma sniffed, "The latest one was a girl naked Beiko, only she ain't into guys, if you know what I'm saying..."

"Heh, that's for sure," Akane smiled, "She's totally fixated on a friend of mine, and I can tell you frankly that it's a mutual attraction no matter what Aiko might say in protest."

"Ah...say what?" Ukyo blinked.

"Trust me, Kuonji-san," Nabiki spoke up, "You don't wanna know."

"Ah...so, Ranma-kun," Kasumi began, "They say that you and Nabiki are the best fighters in your version of Nerima. Are you as good as the Ranma-kun that we know?"

"Wouldn't know," Ranma smiled, "Does your guy know the Senken?"

"The what?" Ukyo asked.

Ranma smiled and glanced off to the sidelines, seeing the way the local version of his father tensed up upon hearing that word pronounced, "Something my Pop taught me to make me as good a fighter as Nabiki...the Senkens, only I created my own version with the help of Ryoga and another guy named Ryu. The old freak coached us into creating our own systems then had us square off to fight each other, and after I won he showed me how to create the Arashisenken, then gave me a scroll that I used to make the Kamasenken...so there's about seven different variations in all, not counting the one Mousse created for himself to beat Kurumi."

"To beat Kurumi?" Ukyo blinked, exchanging looks with Shampoo, who then asked, "Who is Kurumi?"

"Our cousin-slash adopted sister," Akane replied, "She and Natsume are the daughters of our late aunt Mariko by Uncle Genma's older brother...didn't he ever tell you guys about that?"

Ranma and Akane shared a private smile together as they both caught the looks that their respective fathers were turning their way. Ranma had noticed how his mention of the Senkens had gotten his father's undivided attention, but when Akane brought up the subject of their mutual relations it brought a look of total shock to the faces of both fathers, who then gave each other a guilty look of mutual astonishment.

Nabiki, of course, had been listening in and caught the complicatory grimaces of her elders, then she frowned and growled out the word, "Daddy...do you have any idea what these two are talking about?"

"No, not in the least!" Soun protested (albeit a bit too hastily), and Genma-panda nodded his head frantically as though to back up his friend's denial here.

Cologne said nothing, but it was plain from her expression that she was taking great interest in these somewhat melodramatic revelations.

"Oh well," Ranma rocked on his heels with his hands in his pocket and affected a nonchalant attitude as he added, "Maybe it's different here...different worlds, different histories, so maybe what we know to be true ain't true here, right Akane?"

"Maybe we shouldn't say anything more about it, huh?" Akane grinned, getting into the spirit of the thing as she, too, was enjoying the way her father and uncle Genma were squirming under the weight of too many secrets held for too long, deceptions that she and Ranma had learned over the course of a year with a great deal of antipathy and resentment.

Nabiki scowled, too smart to miss these clues and hints these two were dropping and silently vowed that she was going to get to the bottom of it through her own resources...one way or another.

"Oh my," Kasumi also sensed that there was a great deal that their father was not sharing, but unlike her sister she was willing to respect his privacy...right up until Nabiki did all the hard work and felt inclined to share her information with her curious older sister.

"Er...about this Senken stuff again, Ranchan," Ukyo ventured, "Is it anything like your Amaguriken?"

"I have been wondering the same thing myself," Cologne murmured aloud, finding this talk by the strange otherworld youth infinitely fascinating.

"Hardly," Ranma smiled, unrolling a sleeve before showing his bared right arm to full view, at which point all eyes swerved to study the marks and curious patterns that flowed up and down the arm, lettering and symbols that seemed to shift from one moment to the next as though projected there by a floating lantern.

Nabiki's eyes were huge as she studied those curious patterns then said, "What...what is that?"

"The results of my training," Ranma replied, concentrating for a moment as his arm slowly began to be surrounded by a swirl of flame that rose into the air without seeming to consume him.

"What...is that?" Ukyo and Shampoo chorused together.

"Oh my..." Kasumi exclaimed, "Doesn't that hurt, Ranma-kun?"

"Not really," Ranma said, extinguishing the flames with a thought, "The Honasenken is the Fire based system, but the Senken is really all about thinking of the human body like a house and working to protect it against attack and-or intrusion..."

"Think of the body like a house?" Nabiki marveled, recalling Shampoo's explanation on that subject.

"Interesting," Cologne remarked, also showing great interest as she studied the young boy who seemed to her like a more intelligent and sensitive version of the Ranma she knew.

"You're such a showoff, Ranma," Akane rolled her eyes, "Why don't you give a demonstration of the whole Senken while you're at it?"

"Not a bad idea," Ranma smiled, bringing his hands together before spreading them out and executing a flying ax kick before landing in a tigerish crouch, then declaring, "Yamasenken...the Earth based system that uses force to penetrate the defenses of a building..."

"No boy!" Genma the panda held up a sign to warn, but Ranma ignored him and went on with his demonstration.

Ranma then brought his hands down together and tucking his head in before saying, "Umisenken, the water-based school, used for stealth and quiet penetration..."

"Quiet...what?" Nabiki asked, only to gasp as she saw the outline surrounding Ranma begin to fade from view as though he were erasing his own existence, "Nani...?"

"Ranchan?" Ukyo exclaimed.

"Aiyaa...where Ranma go?" Shampoo stammered.

"Oh my...did he turn invisible?" Kasumi asked.

"Not hardly, Oneechan," Ranma replied as he appeared once again, ignoring Genma's sign that now read, "IT'S FORBIDDEN!"

"The Kosenken is the wood based system of defense that's all about protecting a home against unwanted intruders," Ranma continued, "The Morisenken is the metal-based school that can rebuild a house back up from the foundations, but the Arashisenken..." he rose up from the ground and hovered there in mid-air, folding his legs as he saw the astonished look that came from Cologne as she stared up at him in amazement, "...is the aerial school...the ultimate expression of the Saotome system."

"Ranchan...you can..." Ukyo began.

"Fly?" Shampoo concluded for her.

"Oh my," Kasumi said in wonder, her voice conveying some of the awe that Nabiki herself was experiencing at the moment.

"And lastly," Ranma said as he set foot down on the ground next to Nabiki, "There is the Kamasenken, the most forbidden technique of the lot."

"Ah...oh, you don't say?" Nabiki tried to feign disinterest, but when Ranma reached down and took her by one hand she almost jumped, especially when the young man casually rolled down her sleeve and bared her arm up to her bicep, "Hey...what are you...?"

Ranma just smiled as he held her by the wrist with one thumb and forefinger then brought the fingers of his other hand to trace a line pattern across the inside surface of Nabiki's forearm, at which point her knees turned to water and she gasped aloud at the pleasurable sensations that this caused her.

Cologne's eyes narrowed a bit as she caught the significance of this gesture, but the immediate reaction from the other fiancées was a predictable cry of outrage with hostility directed towards both Nabiki and Ranma.

Ranma casually released his hold upon Nabiki, who all but swooned in dismay as her body continued to react in a wave of bliss that felt almost like having an orgasm, then Ranma moved with flowing ease to the space between the other two girls and casually brushed his hands against their necks, causing both Ukyo and Shampoo to stiffen in surprise and disbelief...one moment before they each uttered a sigh of unbelievable contentment that lasted for both of them the entirety of the next twenty seconds.

Cologne almost swallowed her gums while Kasumi stood in wide-eyed shock at Ranma's unexpected (and inappropriate) behavior, but Akane just shook her head and grinned before saying, "Some day you've just gotta teach me how you do that, Saotome...I'd love to be able to do something like that to Kei-chan and Kodachi."

"Ranma!" Soun declared in shock, having missed his daughter's inexplicably raunchy side-comment, "What are you doing? How dare you do something like that with another woman besides Akane!"

"Don't take this the wrong way, Dad," Akane snapped, "But stick it. What Ranma wants to do with other girls is his business, not mine, and besides, he's engaged to all these girls back in our world, and better them than me! I had enough of being engaged to him to last me a lifetime."

Ranma turned and stuck his tongue out at Akane, but the two of them shared a laugh that made it seem more like brotherly teasing than the usual sarcasm that passed for "endearing words" between the regular time Ranma and Akane.

Off in the background Miyu-who had been listening in on all of this with a curious detachment-turned an incredulous look towards her silent friend, Larva, and murmured at the level of a stage whisper, "Most curious form of training these people indulge. I definitely want to know who was his teacher."

Ukyo recovered from the wash of hormones that had left her feeling weak and dizzy in time to ask of the equally afflicted Shampoo, "You hear that, Sugar?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo gasped, "Akane say she no want marry Ranma...but she say that many time before..."

"Yeah," Ukyo replied, "But this time it sounds as if she actually meant it..."

Nabiki finally regained her own bearings and tried to put her mask of aloofness into place, but all she managed to do was to wipe the tears out of her eyes as the sensations of her near-orgasm left her in a state of hyper-accentuated emotions.

"You..." she coughed to get her voice back to a normal level and said, "You...you do this sort of thing all the time with your...Nabiki?"

"Only since we got married a week ago," Ranma turned to her once again, "First thing we did after the fight was rent a room at a resort, then we got down to business for three days, pausing only for room service."

"Three...three days?" Nabiki gaped in disbelief.

"Yeah, but we had to get back home to take care of business, so it wasn't like it was a real honeymoon or nothing like that," Ranma shrugged, "That's why we're planning another trip in a couple of weeks after Ucchan and me formalize our union, then the five of us-plus kid-are gonna take some time away from the craziness at home to get right down to business."

Dead silence greeted his comments, but after a pause of several long moments Genma lifted his sign once again, which read, "Just what does he call craziness back where he comes from?"

"You sure you want to know, Uncle?" Akane grinned, then paused to glance around before saying, "By the way, is Kodachi around? I'd like to see if your version is anything like the Ko-chan I know..."

"KO-CHAN?" Ukyo, Shampoo, Nabiki and even Kasumi responded in black-faced chorus.

"Ah, maybe we're better off not including the Kunos on this, Akane," Ranma remarked, "From what Nab-chan told us earlier they've probably never even met Keiko and Perfume-chan."

"Nab-chan?" Nabiki repeated softly, her expression even more haunted as she sensed the deep affection in the tone this Ranma used and contrasted it with what she knew about her timeline's Ranma.

"More and more I find this talk to be quite fascinating," Cologne observed as she studied Ranma with a shrewd expression, "You man...I would love to indulge in a lengthy conversation with you about these Senken maneuvers of yours, but the sad truth is that you do not belong in our world and are obviously quite needed by the family you left back home."

"Guess you're right about that, Granny," Ranma shrugged before leaning closer to the old woman and saying, "But before Akane and me leave...one word of advice, just between the two of us?"

"Yes?" Cologne asked with interest.

"Find a way to come clean with Shampoo about the stuff you've been keeping from her," Ranma murmured softly, "'Cause the Cologne back home...well...she kind of blew it, know what I mean? You don'' wanna go there having Sham-chan distrust you all the time...and I don't just mean that stuff about Lotion."

Cologne's owlish eyes became even wider than ever upon hearing this, and she seemed to visibly pale, a fact that was not lost to Shampoo, who arched a purple eyebrow and gave her elder a most curious expression.

"So, how do we get back?" Akane asked, "We need tears to make that mirror work, and if it's all the same to you, Ranma, I don't much feel like crying."

"No," Ranma said before turning a sober look upon Nabiki, "But I know who can help us out there. Nab-chan...I hate to do this to you and all...I mean, I don't know you like my Nabiki, but in the time we've had to get to know each other...well..."

"Y-Yes, Ranma-kun?" Nabiki asked, only to gasp as Ranma stretched out a finger and caressed her cheek, then came away with his hand wet with moisture.

"Try to get along with my Bro once I switch back with him here," Ranma smiled as he picked up the Nanban mirror, "'Cause he must be some kind of idiot if he's pass you up to marry Akane."

"Oh, very funny," Akane sniffed as she came to stand beside him, "Take care of yourself, Oneechan, Nabiki...and tell my double I said hi while you're at it."

"We'll tell her, Akane-chan," Kasumi smiled with a look of quiet sadness.

"You guys look out for each other," Akane winked at her counterpart's nominal rivals, seeing blank looks on the faces of both Ukyo and Shampoo before she turned to see the Ranma whom she knew and considered to be like a brother as he brought his wet fingers in contact with the mirror, and then the both of them felt the rippling sensation of the gateway opening again even as a single sob escaped from her sister Nabiki's counterpart before that world of sorrows faded away from them altogether..."

"Oh my," said Kasumi as she looked around at all the strange faces, "Doctor Steinberg, Mister Werewolf, you brought along some friends. I do hope that unpleasant business with Mister Dimitri is over. Is everyone all right? Father, did you...why is everyone looking at me like that?"

"Kasumi?" Nabiki-kun gazed upon her older sister, seeing the strange light in Kasumi's eyes, and when Kasumi opened her mouth there were noticeable canines present. Her voice also sounded a bit more breathy, and there was something ethereal about her stance. Nabiki's ability to read auras was finding her sister's aura was altered from the normally bright halo that usually surrounded her.

Everyone was looking at Kasumi with surprise, astonishment and outright disbelief, but one man stood forward from the rest, the tall man dressed like a wandering priest with the huge sword slung across his back. He came to stand before Kasumi, then without a word lifted the palm of his hand and passed it over her face, moving it down without touching her body.

"She has the taint of vampirism," Donovan pronounced, then his normally flat tones took on a hint of puzzlement, "But the Dark is not within her. I sense no evil in her soul, no taint of corruption. Despite her curious state between realms of life, death and unlife she hovers like a pure light of heavenly grace. In all my years I have never touched a spirit so clean of the normal evils of humanity..."

"Yes, never mind all that," Nabiki-kun said somewhat impatiently, "Can you change her back to normal? We can't leave her like this...it isn't right! Not for my sister..."

"Nabiki-chan..." Kasumi turned towards her transformed sister/brother and for a moment her unvoiced longing was plain in her expression.

"That's right, we can't have Kasumi trapped like this," Soun said with fatherly concern.

"For one thing who'll help Nodoka-chan make breakfast in the morning and do the laundry?" asked Genma, then when nearly everyone glared his way he winced a little and said, "Just being practical...don't make a big case about it..."

"There should be no problem in reversing the harm that Dimitri has wrought," Donovan informed them, "But before I do this perhaps you ought to know that your daughter here has not just become any ordinary vampire but a Master Vampire, which is a very rare thing indeed."

"You don't say?" murmured Cologne with a thoughtful expression.

"A Master Vampire?" Talbain reacted, "You're kidding, right? She's not even a real undead!"

"Interesting," Frank remarked, then for the sake of the others he explained, "A Master Vampire has full Vampiric abilities and is beholden to no one. Their strength is said to be greater than any other type of undead creatures..."

"So what?" Akane asked, "You can't leave Kasumi like that."

"Yeah," said Ranma, "It just ain't natural! Not for Kasumi of all people..."

"The choice is yours to make," Donovan said as he met Kasumi's gaze with his own steely, unwavering stare, "To cleave to what you have become or to return to what you were before Dimitri laid his mark upon you. You share in some part of his essence..."

"Please," Kasumi asked, "I don't want to be a burden on my family, and it just wouldn't be right, I wouldn't be happy as a creature of the night. I don't mind being normal..."

"Yes," said Tofu as he edged his way closer to Kasumi, "Change her back if you can do it, please. Someone like her shouldn't have to go through life with this terrible affliction..."

"Hey!" Tsien-Ko put hands to her hips while her arm-like wings made a similar gesture, "Being a Vamp isn't like having a rare, fatal illness, you know! We're not all creatures out of Hollywood speaking with bad Hungarian accents!"

"Nonetheless," Donovan said, "The request has been made, and it is my duty to take away the curse from this innocent's brow. So it must be, so do I invoke the ritual of banishment."

He raised one hand and held it up in prayer mode while the other was stretched out to make an occult gesture while he began to chant his prayer, which went on for a full minute before he stretched out his palm again and touched Kasumi's brow, calling forth a light that bathed her briefly in a golden radiance, then faded away again as Kasumi sagged, then caught her balance.

"Oh my," she said as Tofu beat Nabiki to the punch, catching her up with one arm to steady her shoulders. Kasumi smiled at the contact and said, "I'm all right...I just feel...very odd, as if something passed through me, but I think I'll be all right now, Doctor."

Donovan's expression did not change but his eyes seemed to express satisfaction as he said, "You had better get some rest then eat a full breakfast in the morning. You will need to recover your strength if you are to be of use to the family that so clearly loves you."

"Better heed his advice," said the fearsome Bishomon, "Donovan Bane can be powerfully persuasive. A pity that charm does not work on those of us who are fully undead, but most of us have made our peace with our cursed status."

"Hey, why be normal?" Talbain asked, "Some of us were born this way."

"And some of us need to wear a flea collar," said Felicia, now restored to human form, as was Perfume beside her.

"We'll take it from here," said Nodoka as she joined Tofu at Kasumi's side, "Thank you for all your help in restoring my niece."

"It was my duty," Donovan replied.

"He means it was a pleasure, Saotome-san," Talbain bowed, "Don't let the big guy's modesty fool you."

"So, are we done here?" Tsien-Ko asked.

"More or less," Frank said, "Are you in a hurry to leave?"

"Damn straight," Tsien-Ko replied, "I left Mei-Ling behind in the middle of an Exorcism. She's gonna be sorry she missed on this since it was right up her ally. You'll excuse me, folks, a pleasure meeting you and all that. Bei-bei."

With that she folded her wings about herself, spun like a top and vanished from the cemetery.

"Showoff," Felicia sniffed with a faint smile, then saw the way that Nabiki and Ranma were eyeing her and growled, "Now cut that out! You'd think I was some kind of a Dog Catcher or something..."

"Now there's only one thing left I gotta say," said Aiko.

"Oh?" Beatrice mused, "What is that?"

Aiko nodded to the ruins of what remained of the graveyard, "Who's gonna explain this to the caretaker? Any ideas on who's gonna pay for all this destruction?"

"See what you mean," noted Frank with a casual glance, "Looks like you kids had one hell of a party."

"The dead should not be disturbed like this," said Bishomon in his gravely voice.

"Agreed," Donovan replied, "I must put this to rights."

He raised his hand again and made a different kind of gesture, then all at once the image of a huge flaming male form took shape above his head as the sword across his back rose up and hovered over his head as if suspended by wires. From the image of the giant came a light that swept over the field of broken and overturned markers and where this radiance passed the ground was restored to normal, the dead bodies littering the ground dissolved like mist and the markers were returned to pristine condition. Within the space of a minute the signs of battle were all gone as if there never had been an awesome struggle between the powers of light and darkness.

When the task was done and the radiance was banished the sword returned to its place across the tall man's back and Donovan gazed silently at his handiwork with some slight satisfaction.

"Impressive," remarked Cologne at the last.

"Not too shabby," Happosai seconded.

"Showoff," Felicia sniffed.

Donovan nodded sagely then said, "A good evening to you all. Come along, Anita."

The little girl with the headless doll nodded silently and fell in step with her huge male companion. At the last minute she turned around and gave everyone a backward glance, then pulled down an eyelid and stuck out her tongue before turning away again and trotting up to match the stride of the dour exorcist with the enormous sword fetish.

"Brat," Aiko commented softly, only to notice the smile her silverhaired companion gave her and said, "What?"

"We're going to have one of our own someday very soon," Beatrice reminded her, "So we both had best get used to being around children."

"I...what?...oh," Aiko glanced down at herself and reflexively patted her own belly.

"That guy's a man of few words," remarked Ryoga as the others watched the priest and his ward casually stride away from the awe-struck Posse.

"Really?" Talbain sniffed, "I hadn't noticed.

"I, too, shall be taking my leave of you," Bishomon remarked before the ghostly samurai faded out, leaving the armor behind to linger a few moments before it, too, vanished.

"That's our cue, care to race me, Furball?" Felicia sniffed towards Talbain before giving Perfume a passing smile one second before she turn back into a blue-furred cat and loped off into the night.

"Don't see why not," Talbain sniffed giving everyone a passing smile before he started to trot off after the cat girl.

"My, such a nice couple," Kasumi remarked.

"Yes," agreed the sign held by Genma the Panda, "But a nice couple of what?"

Nabiki and Ranma-chan managed to look forward again, shuddering slightly in passing, but Akane had a clearer mind as she said, "Wait a minute! How are Ranma and me supposed to return to our own world?"

"Hmmm," Frank mused, "Good point. Offhand I'd say your best bet is still the Nanban mirror."

"Oh yeah," Ranma-chan turned to Kasumi, "Mind if we borrow that?"

"By all means, Ranma-kun," Kasumi said as she surrendered the mirror over to him, "It seems to work on tears..."

"Yeah, we know," Ranma-chan smiled at her, holding it up, "We got one of our own back on our timeline. Now all we gotta do is get some tears. Akane, you wanna do the honor?"

"Me?" Akane reacted, "Why do I have to do it?"

"Because you're a girl, and I just look like one," Ranma-chan replied, "And guys don't cry..."

"Oh no?" Nabiki-kun asked, "Remember what I told you earlier about a cure for our curse being unlikely to come until after some great purpose had been fulfilled? It might not even work after that, meaning that you, like me, may be cursed forever."

"N-Nani?" Ranma-chan's eyes went wide, "N-Not forever..."

"It's a possibility we both must face, Ranchan," Nabiki-kun said gently, "It may be that you'll be stuck like that forever, just like I'll always have this guy curse."

"B-but that's not fair...!" Ranma-chan's voice began to tremble.

"What about life is fair?" Nabiki-kun asked, indicating herself, "We make the best of what we have, which in my case means I can never wear a dress or anything else too feminine for fear of looking silly. This curse has given me a lot of problems, but it's also given me a wife and kid, so I suppose it's been a mix of good and bad from where I'm standing. I suppose it is different with you since you obviously wouldn't want to have a baby in that form, and probably couldn't unless you could stay locked in the body of a really cute redhead."

"B-But that couldn't happen, right?" Ranma-chan asked with even more obvious nervousness.

"Are you forgetting about the Chiisuiton magic ladle, Ranma?" Akane asked pointedly, "That'll do the trick, then somebody like Tatawaki or Ryoga-kun could give you a real experience of what it means to be a woman."

"Don't even joke about that!" Ranma-chan gasped, "That ain't funny!"

"But you must at least concede the possibility," Nabiki-kun suggested, "You're so cute as a girl that I'm sure there won't be any shortage of men who would jump at the prospect."

"You don't understand!" Ranma cried, "None of you could! You all think it's funny when I look like this, but it's not! I'm a guy, dammit! I don't want to look like this forever!"

"Ranma-kun?" Tatawaki Kuno started to say when he saw Ranma thrust a hand in his direction.

"You stay away from me!" she hissed, "I don't care if you are a saner version of the Kuno I know, there's no way I'm letting you get anywhere near me when I'm like this!"

"Ranma," Akane said, "I was just kidding..."

"Obviously he didn't feel that way," Nabiki-kun replied, "I guess things really are different in your world. I never realized how hard things would be for you if you were in my place, Ranma-kun. Times are I wish you had been the one to go on that trip with your father, but now I see what could have happened and I'm glad my Ranma didn't, or Kasumi here, or even you, Akane. Think about that sometime whenever you think about making fun of my husband, little sister."

"Hey!" Akane protested, "He's my iinazuke...I mean..." she blinked her eyes and repeated the word, "Husband?"

"That's right," Nabiki-kun eyed his younger sister's counterpart directly, "My husband by Amazon law and our mutual consent, and if I were you I'd think long and hard about it before picking fights with the Baka over here. If you really do care at all about him then you ought to try giving him the benefit of the doubt and stop throwing your own insecurities his way. He's had a rough life of it and he doesn't need you to make things worse with your suspicions."

"Suspicions?" Akane blurted, "What the heck do you mean by...?"

"I saw the way you were eyeing Ukyo and Shampoo back there," Nabiki explained, "Your jealousy was like a palpable thing to me, and if you don't watch out about that it could eat you alive and leave you a very bitter person."

"Hey, I don't want to marry the baka!" Akane protested, "We may be engaged but it's not like it's my idea or anything like that..."

"A good thing, too," Nabiki-kun sniffed, "I can't think of a worse match than the two of you together. You should stick with Ryoga on your world, assuming he's anything like the Ryoga we know and love on our timeline."

"Ah..." Akane could not help glancing nervously at the lost boy standing close beside her, "Well...Ryoga...he's nice, but..."

"Right," Ranma-chan growled, "But he ain't the same, so why even bring that up? Not like she'd really be happy with the baka."

"Hey!" Ryoga protested, taking two steps forward, "I'll have you know that Akane and I are very happy with each other! That is...she...I...we...we feel good around each other, and I don't see why you should say things like that when you don't really know us!"

"How's that again, P-chan?" Ranma-chan noted dryly.

"P-chan?" Ryoga blinked in puzzlement, "Why did you just call me that?"

"Oh, it's what the baka always calls my pet pig," Akane growled, "I don't know why he taunts you so much back home but he's always trying to pick fights with Ryoga by getting him upset. I don't really understand it, it's all some dumb game you two are always arguing about..."

"Uh," Kurumi spoke up, "Excuse me if I'm out of line here, Cousin, but it almost sounded like she was calling Ryoga-kun a name like Per-chan, Ukyo's pet name for her Amazon wife..."

"The one with the Jusenkyo curse?" Natsume turned to regard the cursed animals, who at present were sitting together in a group listening to these proceedings as no one presently had any hot water to spare them, "Curious..."

"What are you talking about?" Akane was puzzled, "Ryoga doesn't have a..."

Her tone ran out as her face took on a look of dawning comprehension.

"Akane-chan?" Ryoga asked as he turned to look at her in concern and puzzlement.

Akane turned to meet his gaze, then without warning her hand came up and she slapped him.

"Baka!" she snapped, "How could you?"

"W-what?" Ryoga staggered backwards, more surprised than actually hurt by the unexpected gesture.

"That's it, isn't it?" Akane growled as she rounded on Ranma-chan, "That's why you two never get along, why Ryoga seems to hate you so much! You knew all along that he was really P-chan!"

"Took you long enough to finally figure that out," Ranma-chan replied, then winced as he saw Akane's hand rear back for another slap, only to have her wrist grabbed by Nabiki-kun, who whirled her about and compelled her to face her cursed "brother" directly.

"What are you getting angry at him for?" Nabiki-kun demanded, "Sounds to me like you're the one who didn't have a clue about your Ryoga. And you, Ranma...why on earth wouldn't you tell her if you knew that your Ryoga had a Jusenkyo curse?"

"Because I gave my word to Ryoga," Ranma-chan replied, then hesitated before adding, "And...because it's sort of my fault that he got cursed in the first place. I was...the one who accidentally knocked him into the spring when I was chasing Pop around..."

Nabiki-kun barely winced as a Vulture flapped its wings and came down to settle upon her shoulder, eyeing her in a way that was almost poignant.

"I get the hint, Kei-chan," he murmured softly, then sighed before adding, "I guess some things are more consistent than we'd like to admit in both of our timelines."

"You..." Akane directed her question towards Ranma, "Did what?"

"I have a curse?" Ryoga looked enormously puzzled, then looked down at the ferret clawing at his shin and picked her up automatically, "You hear that, Kodachi? I wonder what I'm supposed to turn into?"

"A little black pig," replied Ranma-chan as she turned away with a sniff, "Great, Ryoga's gonna kill me when we get back, and you're gonna kill him because the baka never had the guts to tell you he was your cute widdle pet," Ranma-chan made a disgusted noise, "And naturally it's all my fault, as usual. Doesn't matter if I never asked to have Ryoga follow me around looking for a fight because I didn't wait four days for him to show up for a 'man-to-man' fight. It's not my fault you couldn't find your way to a lot that was right behind your own house."

"Ah..." Ryoga blinked, then noticed the way that everyone was looking at him and winced a little.

"Okay," Nabiki said dryly, "I guess maybe some details are a bit different where you come from..."

"Poor dear," said Nodoka as she moved forward, "You really have had a hard time of it."

"M-Mom?" Ranma felt a moment of hesitancy before seeing the friendly look in the older woman's eyes, then she sighed, "You could say that. Everybody blames me for anything bad that happens. Nobody ever listens to me or wants to hear my side of the story. Anything goes wrong, it's my fault. Even Akane thinks that, she says it to me all the time..."

"Ranma...?" Akane asked, hearing the bitterness in the redhead's tone, which momentarily overcame her anger about Ryoga.

"Nihao!" a voice called out, surprising everyone as they turned to see Ukyo and Shampoo arriving, the latter carrying a bundle in her arms while each girl was loaded down with back packs.

"What are you two doing here?" Nabiki-kun asked, her eyes narrowing slightly, "And is that Lylac with you?"

"Well Duh," said Ukyo with a bland smile, "We couldn't exactly find a baby-sitter this late at night, not with Kasumi and Aunt Nodoka gone. Besides, after that big flash of light and the rainstorms we've had lately we kind of thought that you might be needing some hot water."

"Good thinking," said Soun, "Kami knows some of us could certainly use it."

Ranma blinked his eyes, not only at the baby in Shampoo's arms but the fact that Ukyo seemed to have put on a lot of weight since he had last seen her. She looked particularly round about the waist, but there was also a kind of glow about her that he had trouble identifying. In most respects she seemed like the same girl that he had once mistaken for a boy and she still had her androgynous good looks, but the way she walked and carried herself, it was almost as if her center of gravity had shifted noticeably for some strange reason...

"I thought we had an agreement that you two would stay at home and not put yourselves in any risk," Cologne reasonably pointed out.

"Who's at risk?" Ukyo asked innocently, glancing at Shampoo, "Do you see any risk here? Looks to me more like you guys are just standing around swapping campfire stories."

"Looks like your timing's about right then," rumbled Frank from where he was leaning against his huge motorcycle, "If you'd come any earlier it might've been a different story."

"Aiyaa," Shampoo remarked as she took the big man in at a glance, "What he do here? Big man one who make challenge to Airen?" she paused and did a quick double-take when she saw that Nabiki was in male form, quickly handed her baby over to Kasumi and in one quick bound pounced upon Nabiki-kun for a massive glomp and cried, "Airen! You back!"

"Obviously," Nabiki-kun laughed as she received the buoyant Amazon, "Kami, I've missed you, even if it has only been a few hours. Have you been behaving yourself while I've been away? You haven't been causing trouble for the other Nabiki?"

"What you worry so for?" Shampoo asked with an innocent expression, "Shampoo no violent girl who pick fights over nothing. Shampoo just glad you real Airen this time instead of weak girl who no seem to be much happy."

"In other words, it's good to have you back, Nab-chan," Ukyo smiled as she was handing out thermoses to Nodoka and Doctor Tofu, then paused when she found herself regarding the female Ranma and said, ""Who are you, Sugar? I almost mistook you for Keiko, but that's definitely her riding on Nab-chan's shoulder."

"Uh," the redhead hesitated, "I'm Saotome Ranma...sorry about this."

"You're kidding, right?" Ukyo regarded her skeptically, then gazed into the redhead's eyes as if in belated recognition, "You're not kidding. Ranchan? Is that really you?"

"Well Duh," said Akane with a snort, taking one of the flasks from Ukyo's hand and upending it over the redhead, triggering her transformation back into the male Ranma.

Both Ukyo and Shampoo blinked their eyes, the latter saying aloud, "Aiyaa...when Ranma get cursed with Jusenkyo Nyaniichuan water?"

"It's kind of a long story," Nabiki said as she took another flask out of Shampoo's backpack and restored her own gender, "Guys, meet the Ranma and Akane of my counterpart's timeline, who we were just in the process of trying to restore to their own dimension."

"Airen!" cried Perfume happily as she finished dressing in her Chinese style outfit, then bounded into Ukyo's arms to apply a kiss before breaking off and scolding soundly, "You know that there will be consequences for you disobeying me like this."

"Oh yeah?" Ukyo eyed the Amazon with a look of challenge, "I'd like to see you try and pull it off."

Ranma just blinked his eyes as he watched this exchange, then...very slowly...he became aware of a certain irritation that he was feeling as he frowned in the direction of the brown-haired Enforcer.

"Just as soon as we get home," Perfume said smugly, then turned to regard the astonished Ranma and said, "Better close your mouth before you catch flies. Did you think you had exclusive rights to her in this dimension?"

Now Ranma winced like a guilty boy caught doing something wrong even as Kodachi laughed, her voice a surprisingly pleasant tone that lacked the hint of dementia to which he was used to dreading, "Now Perfume-chan, be nice to our guest. This poor boy doesn't have a clue as to what you are alluding. Where he comes from things appear to be very different."

"Yeah," Keiko agreed as she also appeared while dressing herself in her customary shorts and tank top, "For one thing this guy is way lots more depressing than the Saotome Ranma we know. Imagine being upset because he turns into another version of me! You really ought to seek professional help for that attitude, Saotome, even if I can't really fault your taste in iinazuke."

Kasumi had been gazing at the baby in her arms, but when the child awoke she pursed her lips and handed the child back to Shampoo, who took the baby and without hesitation presented a bared breast for feeding. Ranma gaped for all of one second before hastily turning around, which was not fast enough to escape an angry glare from Akane.

"Something wrong, Ranchan?" Ukyo asked as she suddenly took notice of his pained expression.

"N-No, nothing's wrong," Ranma steadfastly denied, but when he half-turned to glance her way there was a slight glistening of moisture along his cheek, looking first to Perfume then to Shampoo and her baby.

"Bet you wish you were the father," Nabiki said gently, "If I were you I'd think about it."

"I..." Ranma said when the tear fell from his cheek onto the mirror that was still held loosely in one hand, and all at once a rippling motion emanated outward, catching him by surprise and also startling Akane.

"Everybody stand back!" Nabiki urged as she followed her own advice, placing a hand on Shampoo's shoulder to guide her away from what they each knew was about to occur as Ranma and Akane began to ripple and distort, only to be replaced a moment later by a different Ranma and Akane.

"Wow," Perfume turned towards Nabiki, "You're good."

"Just what do you mean by that, Sugar?" Ukyo asked with a hint of suspicion in her tone.

"Let's just say I played on Ranchan's emotions to effect his transfer," Nabiki replied, then turned to the new arrivals and said, "Hey, Ranma-kun, did we get the right you this time?"

"Nabchan," Ranma grinned as he immediately moved forward to join her and Shampoo, "I was beginning to worry about never getting back to see you guys! You won't believe where Akane and me've been for the last hour."

"Try me," Nabiki said with bland matter-of-factness.

Akane wasted no time seeking out Ryoga, who seemed startled to be hugged with real affection this time instead of inexplicably slapped for no reason, "Ryoga-kun!"

"Glad to have you back, Akane-chan," Kodachi smiled with great fondness.

"Likewise," Keiko added, "But where the heck have you been?"

"Back at the dojo," Akane said as she looked up from the still-astonished lost boy to greet her two best friends with a wide grin, "Only it was a crazy place so different from what I'm used to, and Ryo-chan had a curse that turned him into a pig! You guys weren't even there, and everybody thought I was still engaged to Ranma," she pronounced his name with just a hint of disgust, then flashed Ranma a teasing look and added, "Just kidding!"

"So everything is back to normal then?" Genma asked as he was the last restored to normal.

"Apparently so," Soun remarked, "And about time. I'd say this justifies a little celebrating on our parts, Saotome. It just so happens that I've been saving a bottle of sake for just such an occasion..."

"Do tell?" Nodoka said pleasantly, "Will wonders never cease?"

"Guess that's my cue to make my exit," Frank noted as he turned and remounted his machine, pausing to look back as he added, "I'll check back sometime later to see if you're doing all right, Miss Tendo. Not that I don't expect you will do well, but you can never be too certain with vampire curses. You have my number if anything should come up."

"Thank you, Doctor Steinberg," Kasumi smiled, but then she gave a blank look as her tongue encountered something very odd. Unnoticed by the others she put a finger up to her mouth and felt along the front row of her teeth to confirm for a fact that her canines were still somewhat pointed. She was about to say something when she felt a hand on her shoulders and turned to see a smiling Doctor Tofu.

"I'll be sure to examine you for myself to see that you're doing well, Kasumi," he said in a reassuring voice, "It sure is good to have you back to normal. I don't mind telling you...I was a little worried."

"Really?" Kasumi blinked, surprised at discovering that Tofu was actually behaving around her like a normal person for once, "Why is that?"

"Ah...well..." Tofu began to act nervous once again, "It's nothing, really...I mean...you're always so nice to be around and..."

He took a step away from her only to encounter a headstone marker that caught him just about upper-thigh level and his own forward momentum caused him to tumble over the marker and onto his face as he tumbled into a heap on the other side and groaned slightly, "That...hurt a little..."

Somehow, in spite of her immediate concern for her welfare, there was still something oddly reassuring in Doctor Tofu's behavior, which caused Kasumi to smile, glad to find that at least some things were more-or-less back to normal...

Ranma and Akane looked around at the concerned faces turned their way, finding their surroundings were the all-too-familiar confines of the Tendo garden with Shampoo and Ukyo standing beside a much-concerned Nabiki with Cologne standing to one side wearing a speculative expression.

"Welcome back, Akane, Ranma-kun," came the cheerful greetings of Kasumi, "Did you have an interesting time in the other dimension?"

"Ah...well...sort of," Akane said somewhat evasively when she caught sight of a familiar black shape and took three steps forward to close the distance. Picking the astonished black pig up by his bandana Akane glared him in the eyes and said, "Just the person I wanted to see. You and I are going to have a long talk, Mister, about what it means to deceive people."

With that she angrily stormed off, only tersely acknowledging the hail her father paid as he looked up from his never-ending game of Shogi.

"What got into her all of a sudden?" Ukyo asked.

"It's...kind of a long story," Ranma said somewhat uncertainly, "So...how are you guys doing?"

Nabiki wanted to say something to him but found she could not, a condition that did not apply to Shampoo, who instantly leaped forward to glomp onto Ranma.

"Ranma!" she cried happily, "You come back!"

"Hey!" Ukyo snarled as she reached for her bakers peel, "You get your paws off of my Ranchan, hussy!"

"Uh...guys?" Ranma gasped with a pleading expression.

Nabiki took a deep breath, folded her arms over her chest and said, "Honestly, Kuonji-san, is that any way to act? Ranma just got back from his little jaunt and the first thing you want to do is pick a fight with Shampoo? I'd be willing to bet anything that you'd much rather show Ranma how much you appreciate his restoration."

Ukyo seemed to think about it for a few seconds, then she slipped her giant spatula back into place and instead bounded forward to throw her arms around Ranma with a happy, "Ranchan!"

"Hey, what you do?" Shampoo glared at her, "You no touch Shampoo Airen, Spatula-girl!"

"And who's going to make me let him go?" Ukyo said in a scornful tone as she added, "Sugar?"

Ranma cringed as it looked as if World War N was about to break out with him in the middle when Nabiki spoke again and said, "Ladies, if you both don't mind it's late, it's been a very long day, and I think Ranma would rather go to bed right now than to have to suffer another Cat-fight, isn't that right, Ranma-kun?"

"C-c-cat-fight?" Ranma squirmed.

Shampoo and Ukyo exchanged looks, then took note of the way Ranma was squirming in between them, then Ukyo let him go and said, "You're probably right, Sugar. Sorry, Ranchan, I guess I let myself get carried away, like Shampoo here."

"It very busy day," Shampoo agreed, "First Sneaky girl replaced by strong fighter who look like her, then Airen and violent gorilla girl change place with...other Ranma who act very nice to Spatula girl and Shampoo, and Akane who very nice for once, only she want to know where Pig Boy at."

"Yeah," Ukyo said uneasily, "It was nice...but almost scary."

"I...know the feeling," Nabiki said somewhat evasively, "But like I said, girls, it's getting late and Ranma-kun and me have classes in the morning. So does Akane, assuming she doesn't grind Ryoga into sausage."

"Yeah," Ukyo winced, "Poor guy. I hope she makes it quick and relatively painless."

"Some things even stupid Pig boy no deserve," Shampoo agreed, turning a gentle smile towards Ranma as she said, "You be all right until tomorrow, Ranma?"

"Sure," Ranma said, having recovered his bearings as the two girls seemed about to leave, "You guys take care of yourselves, okay?"

"Sure thing, Ranchan," Ukyo smiled, "See you in the morning."

"Well," Kasumi remarked, "I'll go and make some tea. Are you hungry for come rice cakes, Ranma-kun?"

"Thanks," Ranma said absently, "Maybe later, Kasumi. I think I'd like to be alone for a while. I'll be back later."

Nabiki felt the urge to say something, but she hesitated for a crucial moment and then Ranma vaulted onto the roof of her house, leaving her alone with her thoughts over everything that had happened...

Nabiki sat atop the roof of the dojo, a place where she had found great solace in the past whenever she needed to think away from all other distractions. This was such a time where the experiences of a world very much like-yet-unlike her own world had caused her to reassess certain matters of a highly personal nature.

She had often wondered what life would be like for her had she not been entrusted to her Uncle Genma for that ten-year training mission, if she had been an ordinary girl with ordinary problems. To judge by what she had learned from the impressions given by those people whom she had encountered her life sounded pretty dull and lacking in that certain zest that made life so interesting for her in Nerima.

A slight disturbance broke her train of thoughts as she turned to see Ranma alight on the roof a short distance from where she was sitting. She glanced up at him with a smile, gratified to see the warmth in his expression instead of the wariness that she had always gotten from the other Ranma.

"Hi," Ranma said shyly, "I'm not disturbing you am I? If you don't want to talk I'll understand..."

"No, Ranchan," Nabiki smiled, "As a matter of fact you're the person I most wanted to see, now that Shampoo and the baby are finally asleep. I wanted to ask a few questions about that other Nabiki..."

"Ah, yeah," Ranma said as he took his usual place at her side, sitting down cross-legged, "That's kind of what I wanted to talk about. You know...the other you was a real eye-opener in a lot of ways. She was so...different from you..."

"And yet very much like me?" Nabiki said with a slight sniff, "Why don't you tell me about those similarities. I know she wasn't a fighter, but she did have my looks, right?"

"Oh yeah," Ranma chuckled, then touched the warrior's braid that Nabiki wore down her back and said, "She didn't have this, but she was just as pretty as you, even though she didn't quite have your build, and she wasn't nearly as graceful on her feet..."

"Similarities please," Nabiki reminded, but she hid a slight grin of pleasant emotion as she added, "Did she at least have my intellect, my rapier wits and animal cunning?"

"Yeah," Ranma nodded his head, "She pretty much covered all of that, only there was something about the way that she looked at things that was...kind of off, kind of downbeat really, and a lot more cynical and bitter..."

Nabiki rolled her eyes and decided not to remind him again that it was similarities that she was after, "Go on...you're saying she wasn't as confident of herself as me, right? She didn't have anybody who really and truly cared about her, who cared for her the way you care for me, or Shampoo for that matter."

"Really?" Ranma said, "Gee, that's awful. I knew she didn't feel at home around us, but I had no idea she was that much alone. She seemed really sad when she saw Shampoo with the baby..."

"I was sad when I found out that the other me never tried to get close to anyone," Nabiki said, "I guess when Mom died she just retreated into an emotional shell and refused to let anybody get too close to her, with the possible exception of Kasumi. The family was also a lot poorer, struggling harder to get by, and that other me didn't seem to have my resources."

"Well," Ranma said, "Maybe that other you just never had the chance to take advantage of the opportunities you've had. From what you've told me, you and Pop managed to salt a lot of money away, which is a lot better than I think I'd do if I was in your situation."

Nabiki eyed her husband wryly, "Flattery will get you somewhere, Saotome-kun, but you shouldn't sell yourself short. You are pretty resourceful, I think you might have made out on your own. At least that other you was a pretty awesome fighter when you get down to it."

"He was also a real jerk," Ranma sniffed, "I talked with the Shampoo and Ucchan of his world and the impression I got is that he generally ignores them. He seems pretty stuck on Akane, which is hard enough for me to figure. Growing up with Akane, well...it pretty much convinced me that it could never work between us."

"But still they love him, Ranma," Nabiki leaned back and gazed at the stars, "He must be doing something right or I doubt they'd stick with him through all that. Still...I can see your point where that other Akane was concerned. What a temper on that girl..." she shook her head in dismay, "I don't think I'll ever view my little sister in quite the same way."

"That bad, huh?" Ranma asked.

"Actually," Nabiki smiled, "I think we got the better of the deal. It's just that...with all we've gone through, all the pain we've suffered, the sacrifices we've made...I think I'm finally prepared to accept the fact that things could always be a lot worse. Because of Shampoo and Lylac...and you, Ranchan, I think I'm actually quite happy with the way things are..."

"Perfume! At last I've found you!"

"Gak! What are you doing in here, Mousse? I'm dressing!"

"Now you've gone and done it, Sugar! Prepare to get flattened!"

"Mouse, how could you?"

"Uh...Kurumi-chan? It's not what it looks like!"

"Aiyaa! Stupid Mousse! I pound you for messing with Cousin!"

"Go ahead, pound the baka for all I care!"

"But Kurumi-chan-" SPLASH!, "Oook-ook-ook!"

"MEEEEOOOOWWWW!"

"Oh my...I didn't see you two. I'm dreadfully sorry about that..."

Nabiki shuddered slightly as she and Ranma turned to regard the noises coming from the family house, then Ranma murmured faintly, "You were saying?"

"Okay," Nabiki conceded, "Maybe there is some room for improvement around here..."

"Ranma-kun?"

Ranma turned a surprised look towards Nabiki, who was attempting to ease herself out onto the roof in spite of the fact that she was quite obviously less than thrilled about her prospects for balance.

"What are you doing up here?" he asked, not meaning the question to sound harsh but at the moment he was not really all that sure that he wanted the company, especially in light of certain things that he had so recently witnessed.

Nabiki pretended not to be affected by the defensiveness in his tone, but a guilty look betrayed her real feelings, prompting her to say, "Easy, Saotome, I just wanted to...you know...talk a little...if you don't mind, that is."

"Mind?" Ranma seemed to consider it, but turned away with a sigh, "Sure, why not? It's your roof after all, I just live here."

Nabiki heaved a sigh. This was not going to be easy. She sat down as near to him as she dared and said, "It's your home, too, Ranma. Some day all of this will belong to you when Daddy gives it to you as a wedding present..."

"When I marry Akane, you mean," Ranma sighed, his tone betraying a certain sadness.

Nabiki eyed him uncertainly before saying, "You don't have to make it sound like a curse, you know. It doesn't have to be like that."

"Huh," Ranma sniffed but did not elaborate.

Nabiki looked away for a few moments as she struggled to gather her thoughts then said, "It was weird being in that other world. Everything was so different, the people were so nice to each other, and that other me was actually liked and respected. It was...very unusual. That other me...she really must be something."

"Oh, I don't know," Ranma gently snorted, "She was crass, opinionated, stubborn, hard-headed, a real impulsive type, not to mention kind of a nuisance..."

"I see," Nabiki mused, "Sounds awfully familiar. I take it the two of you didn't get alone too well, then?"

Ranma gave her a dirty look, then snorted, "You could say that, but in a way I think it was kind of odd because she was trying to fight my battles, like it was her business instead of me. I guess she's not used to sitting back and avoiding trouble like you do. I wonder how the other Ranma can stand being usurped by her all of the time. I know it'd be awfully hard for me to always live in somebody else's shadow."

"Like you do to Akane?" Nabiki asked, then hastily added as she saw his pained look, "Sorry, that just slipped out. I'm not meaning to criticize you, Ranma-kun. I've a pretty good idea what she must have been like from the way everybody was acting around me. I never figured myself for the heroic type, but if I was the best fighter in Nerima, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't let anybody else fight my battles."

"That's another thing that was so weird," Ranma dared to look towards her, "Seeing you in the thick of action. It just didn't seem right somehow, and it sure wasn't normal. I always figured you were too smart to let yourself get caught up in that kind of action."

"Eh?" Nabiki eyed him in surprise, "If I didn't know better I'd say that you almost sound envious, Ranma."

"I am envious," Ranma snorted, "Envious as hell, but I guess it ain't really your fault. Nobody ever bothers you, Nabiki. No one's out trying to either kill or date you..."

"Uh, yes...exactly," Nabiki murmured faintly, "Guess I really do miss out on all your problems...unlike that other version of me who seems to have taken your place in all the important regards, including your relationships...though I guess she's done what she could to balance out things in that regard..."

"You mean like marrying Shampoo and them having a kid together?" Ranma asked.

"Ah..." Nabiki hesitated, "I...suppose that's...one possibly way of going about it...but I'm not too sure I could make the same choices she did. I'd much rather have one guy who meant something to me, not try and have it both ways by trying to keep everyone happy...unlike my paratime sister..."

"Nabiki," Ranma hesitated before starting again, "I know we ain't always been on the best of terms, but in a way I'm glad you ain't got a curse and all kinds of problems like that. I wouldn't wish my kind of problems on my worst enemy..."

"Oh?" Nabiki jested, "So I'm your worst enemy now?"

"C'mon," Ranma snorted, "You know it ain't like that. I just mean...well...I'm glad you're you, you got that?"

Nabiki lifted her eyebrows, "Was that a compliment, Ranma-kun?"

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "Uh...well...whatever you like..."

"Ranma," Nabiki hesitated again then sighed, "Maybe we got started off on the wrong foot, and...maybe I haven't always been the most pleasant person to hang around with, but I've...never considered you an enemy, and I hope it's the same with you, even if I have...taken certain liberties in the past."

"Oh?" Ranma sniffed in amusement, "I hadn't noticed. Seriously...I know you never meant any harm, Nabiki, not even that time we...um...got engaged to each other. I was...mad at you that first time you sold those photos of me to Kuno, but I never thought you meant nothing by it. It's just your way of taking an advantage of the situation we had back then..."

"That...isn't entirely accurate, Ranma," Nabiki said with clear reluctance, "I'm going to tell you something I've never told anyone, not even Kasumi, so do you think you can keep it to yourself?"

"How much is it gonna cost me?" Ranma asked her, then noticed how she winced and said, "Sorry, that was reflex."

"No problem," Nabiki lied, looking down before she continued, "When you first showed up in Nerima...I was kind of hoping to meet a cute guy who might actually want to hang out with me. The other boys at school...well, you know what they're like."

Ranma snorted derisively. He knew all too well what the other guy at school were like, having experienced first hand the way they behaved around a cute female.

"I was kind of hoping I could do better, you know what I mean?" Nabiki shrugged, "I wasn't asking for perfection, but I was willing to settle for any guy who wasn't a creep or an anal retentive. Kami, I was even willing to settle for Kuno-cha-ah...for Kuno, which ought to tell you about how desperate I was feeling."

"Go on," Ranma said, "And then I show up and you find out the cute iinazuke your father had lined up for you was a Hentai freak with a curse who can't keep his mouth shut and is always getting into trouble..."

"Are you telling this story or me?" Nabiki's tone had a hint of challenge, but she softened it up again as she said, "Yeah, I was kind of disappointed when we first met. My first look at you and I go, 'Oooh, he's cute!' But the minute I find out you were a girl..."

"You got freaked," Ranma said, then winced as he saw her glare and hastily waved his hands, "Okay, okay! I'll stop interrupting."

"No," Nabiki conceded, "You were right, I freaked. I didn't mind you being a girl, but I was hoping for somebody...well, more manly, I guess. I think it threw me off my usual charming self that I got panicked by you and your father for no good reason, so I...poked you in the breast a little as my way of getting even. I also kind of thought you were cute anyway and didn't want to let on about that. I know it was childish, but we were all behaving a bit off for that day and I wasn't any less affected than anyone else. So sue me."

"Hey, I've never blamed you for that or nothing," Ranma said, "It wasn't much fun getting poked, or reminded that I wasn't very manly. In fact the only one who seemed to want to be my friend at first was Akane."

"Yeah," Nabiki nodded, "And I regret that, Ranma-kun. I wasn't very sympathetic even after you explained about your curse. It took me a few days to get over the weirdness of you changing, but after a while I started to think it wasn't so bad, but by that time you and Akane were engaged and I was just the annoying middle sister."

Ranma looked at her strangely, "If I remember right you and Kasumi were both eager to foist me off on Akane..."

"Our mistake," Nabiki looked down again, "Sometimes I wish I could go back to that day and do things differently, but at the time we all thought you and Akane would work things out over time. You were both such Macho types it seemed like a natural pairing, but now here it is almost a year later and you two are no closer to getting married than you were those first frantic days of your engagement."

"Well, I dunno," Ranma said thoughtfully, "There have been times when I almost thought it might someday work out. Akane doesn't spend all her time mad at me for stuff I didn't do...or even stuff I did, and she can be really cute when she lets herself be cute..."

Nabiki winced a little and looked away with a pained expression.

"And then there's Shampoo and Ucchan," Ranma said, "Funny how in that other world they were both engaged to the pair of us, huh? I guess I could see Shampoo being happy married to some guy who looked like your male counterpart, but the idea you two having a baby together..."

"Ahah...yeah...funny, huh?" Nabiki replied with a nervous expression.

"Of course the part I don't understand is where you and me are engaged to each other," Ranma eyed her sidelong, "Kinda far-fetched, dontcha think? The idea that you...and me...well...y'know?"

Nabiki blinked her eyed and turned to look at him with a very curious expression.

"Ah," Ranma glanced away, "Y'wanna know what I was just thinkin'? What if it had been you I wound up engaged with? You think it would have been so bad? I mean, you wouldn't have beat me up all the time and called me names to my face, but I can't help wondering...would you have been happy?"

Nabiki double-blinked then said, "Happy, Ranma-kun? Ah...well...that's kind of an interesting question..."

"You know what was going through my mind that first day we met?" Ranma asked, "After Pop got through scarin' you and your family, that is. You were the first one of the girls who actually approached me and I had a moment where I thought, 'Hey, she's kind of cute...' and that was where your Pop started hugging me, then you poked me with a finger and I started to wonder if I was in some kind of a nut house."

"Ah...yeah," Nabiki paused before she asked, "Anything else?"

"Just that you were the one leading the interrogation, and it was frustrating as hell because all the time I wanted to hit the reverse button and back the whole thing up so I could start introductions all over," Ranma said tersely, "The first time I met you when I was back to being a guy I thought you kind of liked me...then Pop goes and tosses me into the pond and I'm thinking, 'Great, now she'll never want to see me after this."

For the third consecutive time Nabiki's eyes fluttered, then she blushed furiously before she could stifle the impulse. Swallowing thickly she said, "So you're saying...that you were starting to like me back then...?"

"And then you pass me over to that violent Tomboy of a sister of yours and I know it'll never work," Ranma concluded, "And after you sold Kuno those photos...well, I may not be the brightest guy around, but I could take a hint. All I was to you was just a way to make a quick profit."

"That's not true!" Nabiki spoke up before she could stop herself, then she swallowed when he looked at her again and she said, "I mean...you don't know the whole story, Ranma. You're judging me on the basis of a single thoughtless action. Okay, maybe it wasn't an isolated incident, and there were a lot of times when I might have made life more difficult for you than it had to be, but I never did it to you because I didn't like you."

"Oh no?" Ranma asked, "You had a funny way of showing it."

Nabiki closed her eyes and bowed her head, feeling the urge to cry in spite of her legendary self control, and for once not caring, "There was a lot more behind the thing with the photographs than you know, Ranma. Sure I sometimes used my camera to take photos of Akane and sell them to the guys in our school for some quick yen, and when I found out that Kuno was enamored of your female side I thought I could double my earnings by playing on his vanity to pick his fat pockets. I needed the money real bad then, and you know how hard it is for us to come by any money through legitimate means."

"I figured that was why you did it," Ranma noted.

"But it's not the only reason why I did it, Ranma," Nabiki informed him, "Like I told you before, I had a kind of interest in Kuno-chan that was more than filial in nature. It wasn't because he was rich-though that was definitely a plus-it was because he genuinely interested me. I'd known him for years, always thought he was kind of handsome, and his obsession with poetry...well, a girl can be swayed by that kind of language. The problem was that he was ignoring me and obsessing about Akane, but I figured he'd get tired of that sooner or later and finally notice me. Then you show up in your girl half and knock the baka silly, and after I drag him to the Nurse's office he wakes up and puts his arms around me, and for half a second I think maybe he's finally come to his senses, only he starts to call me Akane!"

"Ohh, yuck," Ranma winced, "I'll bet that sucked."

"Not as bad as when he flopped down on the cot then woke up and embraced me a second time calling me Osage no Onna."

"You're kidding, right?" Ranma could not suppress a chuckle, "So what did you do, boot him into orbit?"

"No," Nabiki smiled, "I just bonked him with a basin, snapped him right out of his daze, but after that time I could never get him to pay one whit of attention towards me while he went on and on about both you and Akane. It got a little frustrating, you know? That why I decided to sell him the pictures."

"Excuse me?" it was Ranma's turn to blink, "He made you mad so you started selling him pictures of me?"

"Doesn't make a lot of sense, does it?" Nabiki smiled lopsidedly, "But love does funny things to us all, Ranma-kun. I figured if I couldn't have love I might as well get something for me, some small piece of satisfaction. That's why I sometimes play tricks on you and...well, generally play the Queen of Mean. It's sort of an act I've gotten really good at, and I wasn't even aware I was doing it until I met that other you and...well, it was like the past year never really happened. Here was a Saotome Ranma who was kind, brave, considerate and sensitive to me and my feelings. I've never had anyone act like that around me before...and since he was a lot like you, only without the curse...""

"Lucky him," Ranma looked away, "Guess I don't really measure up to those standards."

"I wouldn't say that...exactly," Nabiki smiled, "You're not perfect, Ranma-kun, and you'd need a lot of work to polish up, but under that Macho, pig-headed exterior there's a pretty nice guy that I've been watching on the sly who might be fun to hang around with, if you're willing to let bygones be bygones."

"Ah...sure," Ranma hesitated, "But...what about Akane?"

"Let her get her own boyfriends," Nabiki sniffed, "Starting out with Ryoga, who I know would never do anything to deliberately hurt her and seems to generally get along with Akane..."

"Are you nuts?" Ranma asked, "After she found out about his curse? I'd be surprised if she doesn't skin him alive!"

"You don't know Akane quite as well as I do," Nabiki pointed out, "She may be angry for a while, but deep down you know she'll eventually forgive him, and when she listens to his side of the story she'll come to see that he's really not that bad a guy. A little violent, a little thick-headed and Macho, and certainly no prize in the brains department, and that sense of direction of his..." she shook her head in dismay, "I think Akane'll be the one who'll have her work cut out."

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, "What a second...are you saying she might? That's crazy! I mean...sure Ryoga's got a crush on her and all, but Akane's never been able to see him for dust, and besides..."

"You still care, is that it?" Nabiki asked, "Afraid that Ryoga-kun might turn into a legitimate rival for her affections?"

"I ain't afraid of nothing!" Ranma snorted, "There's no way that she'd give me up for him..."

"Then you should encourage her to try," Nabiki said gently, "If you really care about Akane you'd want to see her happy, and...to be perfectly honest, Ranma-kun...I don't think she'll ever be all that happy with you."

"Hey!" Ranma protested.

"You can't wish it to happen, you can't force her to become a different person for your sake," Nabiki replied, "She's too much like you, just as stubborn and prideful, and she doesn't have a clue about her own feelings regarding you. I can see you fighting until you're old and gray without changing the way you are now, not unless you find some middle-ground to compromise with."

Ranma was silent for a long moment, then he said, "You really think so?"

"It's my honest opinion, given free of charge, which ought to tell you what it's worth," Nabiki informed him, "You can take it or leave it if you like, but if you ever want to talk about it again...well, my door is always open, Ranma-kun, and I won't even charge you for an appreciative ear. At least...not for the first visit anyway," she smiled, "I do have a reputation to live up to."

Ranma had to share a private laugh with her on that, but no sooner had he started to relax then he heard the telltale cry of, "RANMA! Where are you, you baka? Come here right this minute! I want to talk with you about Ryoga!"

"Sounds like she's shifted targets," Nabiki started to get up, "Think about what I just told you, Ranma-kun..."

"Nabiki?"

She paused as Ranma stood fluidly to his feet, turning to regard her with a very strange expression. She swallowed thickly and said, "Yeah, Ranma-kun?"

He smiled, "Thanks for listening. You want some help getting down?"

"Help?" Nabiki asked, contemplating the treacherous footing she would have to negotiate in the dark, "Ah...thanks, that's awfully nice of you, Ranma, but how..."

"Like this," he smiled, and suddenly he scooped her up into his powerful arms, then with a single leap he vaulted off the roof of the building.

"RAAANNNMMMAAAA!" Nabiki cried in helpless terror, but somehow the trip to the ground proved more enjoyable than she would have imagined, and the sense of security that she felt within his arms made her more than a little giddy, thinking privately to herself that she might, in time, get used to these sensations.

She certainly hoped that she would soon have a lot more practice...

To Be Continued?

Comments/Criticisms/Open Ended Plot Devices: shadowmane

Any ideas where things might go from here for this pair? In the meantime, it's back to domestic bliss (of a sorts) for Nabiki-kun and his/her extended family of Basket Cases. Be there!


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